Younger Sister
by pmollymay
Summary: What if Tobias had a younger sister? Aundrea Eaton, only two years younger, is very close to her brother. She loves him enough to let him leave to Dauntless so he could be safe, leaving her with their abusive father. Now two years have gone by and it's her chance to leave and find her brother, but neither of them are the same.
1. Prolog: Two Years Before

**Thank you for checking out the story. I have read a few of the other fanfics for Divergent and I didn't really see one similar to this. So I thought I would write it. I hope you all like it. **

_**Prolog: Two years before…**_

My heart starts to beat faster as I grab the door handle. He's home. He is always home early on days like this. I turn the handle and open the door as if my heart isn't going to jump out of my chest. It's starting to get really hard not to lose it. I'm abnegation and it's getting really hard not to lose it with my father. My heart and mind aches every time I hear the snapping of the leather or the hard boned backed flesh of his knuckles hitting soft easily bruising flesh… I slowly wipe my grey little shoes on the carpet and shut the door without looking up. I am very aware of where he is. He is always in his worn arm chair that, even though I tried, the dull black stains of blood are still on the arms and back. No one ever asks about them. The stains just look like normal wear and tear. But really, no one is ever going to ask otherwise. Not here at least. Slowly I roll my eyes as I hear the door click shut. His eyes are on me.

"Where were you?" my father asks right after the click. I glance over at him and I can tell he just turned and looked back at his paperwork. His 'friends' will be joining us from the looks of it. I turn and look at him.

"I was at school." I tell him firmly. "Then I decided to stay and help clean up after the Dauntless and Candor mess in the cafeteria." I add with a sigh. "Was there a reason I needed to be home early?" I try to sound kind. It's hard, but I manage. My father looks me up and down before turning back to his paper work.

"How old are you?" He asks as he reads a paper. I raise an eyebrow at that question.

"Fourteen, sir." I state with only a hint of confusion. I watch his head nod.

"I thought you might have been sixteen." What is he talking about? "Considering you're the first one home on the aptitude test day." I feel my body get cold. Bass…

"Well, he might have gotten caught up with helping someone." I suggest before starting for the stairs.

"Don't you think you need to greet your own father?" He asks without lifting his head. Didn't I just talk to you?

"I'm sorry." I walk over to the living room so I'm in his line of sight and nod my head. "It's good to see you home early, sir." He nods and I start walking again.

"Stay." I bite my lip as I set my foot back on the ground and fold my hands in front of me, submissively. My father finishes reading and sets the paper on the stack before him. "Aundrea Eaton, you have no clue what's going on, do you?" I reframe from biting my lip.

"No sir, if you tell me I might understand a little bit." I state hopefully. Though I know there is no hope. He looks at me with a bored look.

"You are so stupid, Abnegation are not supposed to be curious." The look in his eyes threaten me, no dare me to lung at him. But I choose not to move as he stands. "Did I raise an Erudite?"

"No sir." I look to the floor as he walks closer to me. His hand rests on my cheek.

"Then tell me, why are you curious?" I tell hear the smirk on his lips.

"I don't know. I'm not smart like one." My voice is low as I feel his hand moves to my chin. He yanks it painfully up so I have to have my face towards him. So I dart my eyes to the ground so I don't look at him and cause him to get on the offensive.

"That's true." He starts to caress my face. "Why are you afraid of me?" Why? Sometimes, I'm not sure if that's the right word. But right now it is.

"I don't know sir. You haven't given me a reason to be." I almost whisper. That's a lie and he knows it, but it's a programmed response. I… I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to take this.

"That's right." He says before letting go of my face. That's tells me to prepare myself. I see his hand pull back and clench. I take in a deep breath as the hard rough knuckles hit me right in the eye. Black eye for tomorrow. My head jerks to the side as I fall to the ground. One hit, that's all I need to go down. I fall next to the coffee table and I feel my eyes well up. "Get up." he says as I find my palms on the ground and push myself up. With help from the table, I'm back up in the same place and position as before. My left eye is shut, but I can still see him move. His knuckles hit me again. This time, in the jaw and again, I fall to the ground. "Don't make excuses for your brother." I nod as tears stream down my face and I stand up. "Go clean up. I'm having people over." I grab my backpack and walk up the stairs as if nothing happened. In the bathroom, I wash my face clean by feel. There's no blood and won't start swelling yet. Good. That's when I hear the door open. Bass is here. I work on cleaning my face up and walk out of my bedroom and see Bass walk into his room. I didn't hear anything break, so he should be fine. So I walk back into my room and start on my homework. Before long, there is a knock on my door. It's one simple knock. Bass. I get up and trip over my backpack and land on the ground with a thud. The door slowly opens and I look up from the ground.

"Hi." I laugh out as he looks at me. This is a normal sight. He walks in and helps me up.

"You shouldn't put your backpack in the middle of the floor, Ann." Bass's voice is calm and quiet as he steadies me on the ground. I smile at him and laugh quietly.

"I do. It just likes to attack me, Bass." I defend as Bass lets go of me.

"Whatever, we need to eat. He is having some council members over." I nod and follow him out and down the stairs quietly. Our father is still working as we raid the cabinets for food. I grab two good size carrots and I look at my brother as I hold it like a weapon with a smile. Bass grabs the end of it and breaks it off before handing it to me with a simple shake of his head. I roll my eyes and eat the end he broke off. Bland and old, oh well. It's health. I walk to the fridge and look around as Bass gets two glasses of water ready for us. I pull out two chunks of cheese and throw him one. Bass silently sighs as he catches it after setting the glasses on the counter. Then he gives me a look. The look tells me I did something wrong. Instantly, I shrug my shoulder and look confused. Abnegation really shouldn't act the way I act, but I don't care. I'm not really Abnegation, I'm abused and frighten. That's what I am. There is a knock on the door and I shut the door as Bass walks to the stairs. Normally, I don't go upstairs. I stay down and help cook dinner, then I go study. I look at my father as Bass walks up the stairs with his dinner and glass. He glances at me as he gets to the door and nods his head. I'm staying down here for a bit so I can cook for them. I take a bite of the broken carrot and start pulling stuff to make food as he opens the door. Chicken, mash potatoes and peas is what I'm going to make. Simple and sweet, just like abnegation likes it.

"Hello, Marcus." It's Andrew Prior voice. "And Aundrea." I stand up from the cabinet I'm at and nod my head.

"Nice to see you Mr. Prior." I tell him before going back to pulling out two pans to cook the food. I tune out the greeting my father gives him and start cooking silently. More people file in and I give a simple greeting. Soon, I have enough chicken for everyone here, seven. Now the challenge is grabbing the plates without dropping them. I'm short and there in the top cabinet. I look at the offending cabinet as I take a bite of my other carrot. Not a moment later, Andrew Prior walks over and pulls out the plates for me. I stiffen up as I glance at my father, who doesn't seem to be paying attention, which means he is. "Thank you." I whisper to him as I take the plates from him and set them in place around the table. He joins me and sets the forks and knives in their place.

"You're welcome." He smiles and I look to the ground as I move past him and grab the two severing trays and set them in the center of the table. As they cool off, I need to get the dishes washed. I turn and watch Andrew start the water to wash the dishes.

"Mr. Prior, I am more than happy to wash the dishes. You're our guest, I will be fine." I whisper quietly through a smile. I'm going to be beaten for this for sure. He looks at me.

"You worked so hard on making us dinner; you shouldn't need to do all the work." He says with a kind smile.

"But sir, you're here working. You are serving our whole faction right now with this work. Helping me is something minor compared to the faction. I will be fine, sir." I can use his abnegation against him. He nods and sighs.

"If you need any more help just let us know." He smiles before walking back to the group. I watch him and see my father looking at me. We meet eyes for only a moment. His seem calm and quiet, which means he's pissed. I look to the floor and take over washing the dishes and putting them away. By that time, dinner has cooled down enough. I walk over to my father and stay there until he acknowledges me.

"Yes, Aundrea?" He says in a calm caring voice.

"Dinner has cooled down enough so you all can eat." I state in a quiet voice that I'm so used to using, it's second nature. My father nods.

"Thank you so much for making dinner." He says. Then the others chime in with thank you. I remain there and nod my head. From the looks of things, they are working on last minute details of initiation that will start tomorrow. Each one of them takes turns on training the initiates, sharing the burden of turning people with selfish tendencies into selfless people is so odd to watch sometimes. Other times, it's pure beauty. "Do you have homework to work on?" He asks and I nod.

"Yes I do, but I wanted to make sure you had everything you needed before I retire for the night and study." He smiles. I'm acting like a good abnegation child.

"No I don't." he states and I turn and walk up the stairs.

"Marcus, your daughter is a very beautiful abnegation little girl." A woman states as I reach the top.

"Thank you. She has learned a lot from all of us." My father says quietly. "After her mother passed away, Aundrea has been working hard to become selfless." I walk quickly to my room and sigh. I'm going to get it, I just know it. I touch my door handle and I stop. My hand leaves the handle and I knock twice on my brother's door before walking into my room. Our little way of telling the other we are fine. I shut my door slowly and sigh again. That isn't the last time I'm going to see my father tonight. So I'm not going to change, I just strip of the big grey jacket and the long sleeve shirt and throw it on the floor next to my desk before sitting in the chair and staring at the book I need to learn.

Math. Why do I need to learn math? I'm not smart enough to be Erudite. So why learn it? I read the formula over and over again and make notes in my little journal of things I think are important and then start on the fractions. My grad level isn't on something as simple as fractions, no they are all working on things like multiplying and dividing negatives and stuff the erudite teachers call algebra. Something, I'm not good at. So I'm the only one in my class with four levels below my grade. I'm consisted stupid by my father and someone who knows nothing by the Erudite teachers. I groan as I start doing my best. Bass knows all this. But I can't see him right now and I have a test in two days. My face slams into the book and I wince as my jaw and cheek touch the pages. I almost forgot. Slowly I lift my head and just slid my journal onto the page and shut the book.

"I'm going to work on history before this." I mumble to myself as I move the book away and grab the Faction history book. All about destroying people pretty much. I roll my eyes and open it.

000

My eyes open as I hear the steps in the hallway by my door. I lift my head from the book and see the page I feel asleep on. The title says Abnegation manifesto. I blink a few times. This is the second chapter. I had read this book cover to cover countless times. I look at my journal and groan. I fail this test each time. The teacher says she wants to throw up her hands and give up on me. She says I'm a stupid, unreachable Abnegation child. I'm really have been sliding along because the teachers don't want to talk to Marcus about holding me back until I learn something. I know it, but I don't at the same time. It's hard to explain. After a moment, I relies that my father didn't come in here. That's not good. I stand up and walk to the door and trip again.

"Backpack." I groan out as I push myself up again and kick it under my desk. Once up, I grab my shirt and jacket and put it in the hamper before pressing my ear to the wall next to the door. I don't want to get hit in the face with a door opened by my father. That will make matters worse.

"This is rank with self-indulgences!" I hear my father shout. He found his trunk. I swallow and look to my dresser as I hear something crash to the ground. No… "It poisons this house with selflessness!" he shouts more. My heart beats so fast, I think it will beat out of my chest. The beating starts. I hear something crash again.

"Choosing ceremony, Dad!" It hurts me to hear my brother cry out like that. I step away from my door and sit in my chair. I know what that means. I skip the book forward to the Erudite section and start reading as I hear my father's steps in the hallway again and my door opens. I bite my lip before looking up.

"Yes?" I ask him in a quieter voice, my tired voice. He looks at me as he tries to find something wrong with my room.

"What are you doing?" He asks as he walks in. The door doesn't shut behind him and if I look over, I could see into Bass's room. I tap my pencil to the book.

"Reading about the Erudite in my faction book. I have another test coming up and I don't want to fail it again." I tell him truthfully. "Do I have to learn about the Erudite? I know about Abnegation. Shouldn't that be enough?" I ask him as he looks at the book. I rest my head on my propped up hand. "I'm not going to be able to understand anything else."

"You do as you're told until you leave school." He says after slapping me in the back of the head. "I will be back in here later." My father says before leaving my room and walks down the hall to his room. I lean back in my chair a bit and I regret it instantly. Bass is on the ground, cowering against the dresser. He is crying. I look at him and see pure terror in him. I want to help. I want to stop our father from doing this, but sometimes I'm afraid of him. I want to stop him. But I can't. He looks over at me and wipes his face clean and my heart breaks. I have to do something. Bass didn't do anything wrong. He did nothing at all expect be a human. I bite my lip as I hear our father's steps in the hall. So I put the chair's front legs back on the ground and bite the eraser of the pencil as the man glances into my room. I look at him and put on the most innocent look I can muster. I must stop him. My heart is pounding so fast and it's hard to keep myself still. Slowly, he shuts my door and I shut my eyes. That's when the lashings begin. Each time, I wince and grip the side of the desk harder. The lashes will be easily covered. Bruises on the face, not so much. Well his face, I'm considered a trip hazard. So people learn to expect it. My father can get away with hitting me anywhere. My breath becomes heavy as the lashing stops and the sound of things breaking starts. Bass's things. I glance at my dresser and bite my lip with each breaking sound. Every little thing is being stepped on, thrown, or whatever he's doing. This must be breaking Bass's heart. Those were his things. My breath stops when I hear his footsteps again. I note a few more things down and flip the page to the manifesto. He will believe that this is taking me forever. Not always the fast at understanding. My door opens and I swallow hard before looking at him and standing up and getting into a submissive stance, head bowed and hands behind my back. My father walks right past me and to the desk. He looks through my journals and then the other books before throwing them to the ground and looking under the bed. He pulls out the trunk and opens it on the neat bed. Inside are blankets and sheets. "Where's your stash?" He snaps as he looks at me.

"What stash?" I ask him as I look him in the eyes respectfully.

"Of selfish and pointless things." He says as he stands up and walks over to me. His knuckles connect to my right cheek and I fall to the ground on my side. My hand covers my face as the other one helps me up.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Father." I hold back crying as I sit up on my side. "I don't have anything selfish in here." I look at him in the innocent look I mastered. "I'm sorry, sir. I don't understand." He groans as he grabs my wrist and yanks me upward. My throat tights as I hold back a cry.

"Of course you don't understand, you are a stupid child." He throws me to the bed and walks into my bathroom to search it. I curl up into a ball as my face starts to swell now. It's had enough. Towels are thrown out of my bathroom and into the door way. "Where is it?" I start to cry.

"Father, I don't have a stash of selfish things. I'm not like that." I cry out as I hold my legs. "I'm sorry." I watch him stand up and look at me.

"Stand up." I nod and do as he says. "If you going to dress this way, I need to remind you why we don't." He says in a calm voice. "Off with the shirt." I slip it off slowly and I'm left in my bra and I look at the ground. My door it still open, but I can't bring myself to see if Bass is watching. I don't want him to. "Grab the dresser." I grab the dresser slowly and the belting begins. It hurts worse without having clothes to block the blow. I bite my lip as each hit come. It's not long before I feel bruising and swelling. I'm not the biggest person around abnegation or the strongest. So a few hits and I have to be done or something is going to break. My father doesn't care. He hits me fourteen times before stopping and handing me my shirt back. "Dress yourself and finish studying." He says. I take a shaky breath before pulling on my tank top and standing up straight. I will get numb in a little bit. So I walk over to my desk picking up the books and journals as I go. After each beating, I normally do homework, or sleep. But I need to finish taking notes on something. I glance as my brother's room and the door's closed. I hope he's okay. It didn't seem good. "Your brother is very disobedient. I will not be able to hold back soon." I swallow before setting everything on the desk and organizing it. That's when he leaves me alone and goes to his room. Once he leaves, I let myself crumble. I will not be able to hold myself back soon either. I groan and sit back down and start organizing things again and start noting things down again.

"I need to check on him." I bite my lip and look at my math book. It might help. "He needs to get out of here." I sigh and look to his door. Our father should be in bed soon. So I will wait.

000

My fingers hit the cool silver metal of the door handle. My mind tells me I shouldn't, but I must. I grip the handle and open the silent door and slip into the room. The door makes no sound as I close it shut with one hand. I look in front of me and find my older brother sitting on the edge of the bed with his back away from me as he faces the window. Slowly, I set one knee on the other side of the bed as I see the bruise that is starting to from right at the end of his grey sleeve. He grabbed him too rough again, as well. Bass doesn't move as I settle more weight onto the bed.

"You're not supposed to be in here." His voice is quiet and really weak as I lay down on my stomach next to him, holding a wince back.

"Hasn't stopped me before." I deadpan. "What's so different about this day?" I know the answer, but I think it's stupid really.

"What do you want?" He asks as he looks out the window. I yawn and hold my book out in front of me.

"Why does there have to be a reason to come in here?" I ask him. My brother looks at me with his dark blue eyes as he is telling me to leave. "He's asleep. It's like one in the morning. He has to be places tomorrow so he isn't going to bother you or me anymore tonight, Bass."

"You sure about that? Last time you were caught in here, he put you in the closet over the weekend." There is no emotion in his voice. I can tell he is holding back pain.

"Well, I have places to be tomorrow as well. I'm not concerned much about him." My older brother rolls his eyes. "I got some math work I need help with. How do you add fractions? I have a test on it and I can't figure it out." Bass sighs as holds out his hand. Slowly, I set the book in his hand and he opens it up.

"You make them like fractions and add the numerator only." He says after a moment of reading. He glances at me and sees confusion written all over my faces, so he moves slowly on the bed to set the book down between up. "Like factions are factions with the same dominator, the number underneath the line. The numerator is the number on top of the line."

"Oh, I get it now." I laugh out quietly and I take the journal and note that down.

"That wasn't the only reason why you came in here." Bass states as I write.

"So." I say as I write.

"Ann." He deadpans. I look up at him.

"You need to leave Abnegation." I tell him firmly. "You need to get out of here."

"I won't leave you with him. Not at all." He is firm and I groan.

"Even if I asked you too?" my voice is quiet, like a whisper. "Even if I tell you to think of yourself for once. Things will be as they were if you stay. He will be the same and you won't be able to do anything about it. So why don't you take care of yourself and leave? Get away from here." He shakes his head .

"I can take you after the month into my house." I look at him as if he's stupid.

"That won't be allowed, Bass and you know it." I tell him. "I'm stuck here until my choosing ceremony and there is no way in hell I am staying here."

"You shouldn't talk that way. It's not becoming of you." His voice is gently again. Lying on the bed like this is getting annoying. So I move and sit next to him.

"I don't care. I'm not Abnegation, you know this and he knows it. You hear him when he yells at me. So why bother even pretending?" I tell him as I lean onto his shoulder where I know there isn't a bruise. "Can't you just leave? Make it better for yourself?" I ask him in a weak voice. "Things won't change with you here. You have been through a lot and you need to take care of yourself for once." He doesn't look at me anymore. Instead, he stares out the window at the dark night. "What was your test results?" I ask him after a minute. I might be able to persuade him if I know it. He can't stay here any longer and not because of me. I watch as his jaw tightens.

"I'm not supposed to talk to you about it." He says, not as firm as before.

"I really don't care, Bass. Tell me." It takes him a moment. "We tell each other everything." I remind him.

"Abnegation." He says quickly. I can't help but smile and look up at him.

"Well, aren't you a selfless person. It really doesn't surprise me." I shake my head on his shoulder and get it up. "In that case." I look him dead in the eye. He slowly turns and looks at me. It may hurt saying this, but I need him to do this for himself. Things are going to get worse, but it has to be this way for his safety. "Do this for me. I can't see you cringe every time he walks past me. I can't stand to see you hurt because you are standing up for me." I shake my head again. "I can't let you hurt yourself because of my stupid actions…"

"You're not stupid." He cuts me off firmly.

"I'm called much worse." I shrug my shoulders and continue. "You are hurting me every time you stand up for me and being my hero. I don't need you to. So please, for me. Chose some other faction. I promise that I will join you in two years. Even if I'm don't like it." I plead with him and he, at first doesn't show any emotion.

"I can't have you do that." He states. "Why do you want me to leave so badly, anyway?"

"Because I can't stand how he treats you. I can take it. But it hurts you and me when I see him go after you." I tell him in a soft, but firm voice. "If one of us is here, than the other one won't get hurt twice. You are the older one. You have a chance to leave this place and get away from him. Why not do it? This is the chance you been waiting for. I can always go to…"

"If I go, you will follow?" He asks as he cuts me off. I shake my head yes as I stop talking. I think I have gotten to him. "You promise?"

"I promise you I will. I don't think I can handle any place for too long without you anyway. Two years is just enough time for me." I give him a smile and he still frowns. "Can you not frown all the dang time? It makes me feel like I can't talk to you." I ask him a little joking tone. I never really did act like I should. Maybe that's why he gets upset with me a lot. My brother gives me a small smile before pulling me into a half hug. It hurts both of us, so it's short.

"I'll think about it." He says before letting go of me. My heart falls. He is going to do it. He just not sure where yet. I know him well. But this is for his good. I guess I have a little selflessness in me when it comes to my brother. That might be it. "Time to go to bed." I sigh. I really don't want to leave his side. This is the last time I get to see him until visiting day. Unless I'm not allowed to go. If that's the case, I will find a way to get to see him.

"I won't see you for two years, can't I deal with one tired morning?" I ask him in my half whiney voice. He looks at me and sighs.

"How old are you, Ann?" He is using my nickname, which means I'm not in trouble. I hold up four fingers.

"That many." I say in the best baby voice I have and he laughs again.

"You're bad at math." He chuckles a little bit.

"Well, I'm four. So that makes since." I tell him with more baby voice.

"Try adding ten to that." He says. "Act your age and you can stay in here with me." I straighten up right away and frown at him.

"Fine." I say in a fake sad voice. "I was only trying to make you laugh." I fold my arms over my chest. My brother ignores my fake act and reaches for my bun and pulls it out, so my hair hangs freely.

"I like your hair down. It seems weird up." He says in a different tone than what tonight means. The last time I get to see him. Does he know I'm sad about him leaving? Of course he does. He knows me better than myself.

"You have never seen my hair down before." I state. "How do you know if you like it down?"

"It fits your personality." He says as he hands me my hair band. I pull it on my wrist.

"Since when is my personality free and loose?" I ask him sarcastically. "No one has seen me like this." I tell him.

"You're true personally." He says as I yawn. "Guess there isn't going to be an all-nighter." He smirks gently as I glare at him.

"Don't hate me for trying. Bro, it's your last night here. Let me enjoy it before two years of solitude." I tell him.

"Ann. I don't have to leave." He states as he breathe out slowly. The pain is getting to him.

"Yes you do. We both do or I'm going to snap. Trust me, I feel it might happen if you don't leave." I tell him. "You need to get out of here before he takes one last hit towards you." I gently touch the bruise on his arm. He winces a little, but he tries to hide it. "I can't handle seeing this." My voice is quiet again. "Because of me." I shake my head and sigh. "You need to leave for your sake, I'm not sure if I'm going to snap or not. I really don't want you here to get the repercussions of it."

"Just go to sleep, Ann." I look back at him with water in my eyes. His eyes don't seem to change much from when I first came in. "I understand." I slowly nod and lay down on my stomach on his bed again with my head on the pillow. It smells like him. I will miss this. I pass out right away.

000

I wake up to my brother nudging my shoulder.

"Ann, wake up. It's almost time for him to wake up." I wake up to Bass whispering. I open my eyes and see Bass next to me with my book in my hand. "The work is done in the journal. Just go." I nod as I roll on my back, forgetting about last night's events and groan as Bass helps me up.

"Thanks." I breathe out as I grab the book and sneak into my room and I hear the door opens to my father's room. I quickly pull my hair back up and sit in the chair, open the book and journal and place my pencil in my hand and lay my head down on the book and shut my eyes. Some spit leaves my mouth as I hear him walk into my room.

"You were able to finish your math." I snap my head up with a gasp and look at him.

"What?" I ask with a tired, stunned voice. I turn and look at the journal and yawn. "I guess I did. I don't remember it though." I tell him as I wipe my face clean. "I don't droll." I state slowly and he shakes his head.

"Time to get ready." He says before walking past the towels on the ground. "Might want to get this cleaned up before you trip again." His voice is calm as if nothing happened. I yawn and watch him go back into his room. I stand up and walk to the dresser and trip on the ground with a loud thud. Bass's door opens slowly and he peers out at me. I look at him and wave before I see him shake his head and shut the door. I groan as I stand up and get ready for the day. It's not long before I'm dressed in my grey jacket, dress, and knee high socks and simple shoes. I walk down the stairs with my hand on the railing and still stumble. Bass and my father glance at me.

"I'm good." I tell them as I steady myself again. Bass hands me a piece of toast and I eat it as our father reads the paper, so I give my brother a once over. He is hurting pretty bad too. I shut my eyes and rest my elbows on the counter and place my head in my hands. I hear Bass sigh. I will not cry, I will not cry. His hand rests on my arm and I bite my lip and glance at him. His other hand motions to his face. I roll my eyes and glance at the stairs and he nods. My story is going to be I fell down the stairs again. My eyes find his again and they well up. That's when I move and grip the counter as hard as I can. "I'm going miss you." I mouth the words so our father isn't aware of anything. He nods and places a hand on my head.


	2. Things Change

**I got a lot more feedback than I expected. Thanks to everyone that reviewed, followed and even favorite this story. It encourages me a lot to write. By the way, Bass is just a nickname. I was thinking that a little sister sometimes give their older brothers nicknames when they are still learning to pronounce their names. So I thought that Aundrea could have shortened Tobias's name to Bass because Bias isn't a good nickname for him. Anyway, tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent. **

**Chapter One: Things Change…**

I sit in the same spot I did two years ago and sigh as I stare out the window. I'm the only one that comes in here. Right now, I really wish I had him with me again. His rare smile and comforting words, right at the right moment is what I need. He kept his word. He left and that caused quite a stir. My father knew I was the one to push it or at least blamed me. I honestly think he wanted to go, but was scared about how I will be if he did. Well, I made it… Barely. It's the same time as when I came in, around one o'clock in the morning. It's been exactly two years. I only snapped a few times. But the punishments were almost daily. It's made me stronger. Now it's my turn to leave. Make the step that I have been half dredging and half excited for. I did some research on the Dauntless. They are free and almost careless, but over all brave. Which is a good place for him and I. This is a brave step for two people who belong here in abnegation. Or at least according to our tests, but I made a promise. So I'm going to like the dauntless and be brave. This room has long lost the comforting scent of my older brother. I'm glad I get to see him soon. I wonder if he will recognize me. I have changes a lot. Gotten a lot taller and I filled out, at least the last time I checked in the mirror. I might have gotten fat for all I know. My body fits just like his did on this bed. My feet just coming to the edge when I lay down. Luckily, I curl up when I sleep. I shift in the bed until I am lying down and staring out the window. Morning doesn't take long to come.

"Might as well check on him." Last night was one of the days I snapped. Which really made me question my test results. But who cares? I'm not going to stay here. I get up, go to my room to change, and walk down stairs to the kitchen. I don't see anyone in the chair. There are only belts that lay on the table. Three to be exact. I had to use one of Bass's old belts, his belt and had to steal the last one during the six months clothes exchange. Not Abnegation at all to steal from those who need it. But I needed it too. I turn and look at the stove. I see him cooking eggs in a pan.

"You can't secure belts if your life depended on it, Aundrea." I roll my eyes and walk past him and grab two plates from the cabinet next to him. He can't do anything to me, now.

"I wasn't trying to keep them on you past the time I needed." I tell him flatly as I set the plates next to him. "When did you figure out that I just pulled them tight?" I ask with a smirk. I watch as he goes to move the hand that holds the spatula, but stop short.

"Two hours ago." He says with no care. "You're a little…"

"Father, none of that today." I pat his head and walk to the other side of the kitchen and pull out two forks. "It's a special day that we cannot be late for. Your holding the ceremony." I remind him as I walk to set them on the table.

"I didn't forget." He says bitterly. I thought he did, after all he did hit me in the face with the belt and pinned me to the ground.

"Good, so I have to have the bruises today." I roll my eyes.

"Some Abnegation, Ann." He says sarcastically.

"Don't call me by that name. You're tainting it." I spit out. "You're lucky those marks are under your clothes. I respect this faction." I inform him. Seconds later I feel a burning hot pan on my neck. It's hurts bad as it burns me. I bite my lip and hold in the loud scream. When I scream, he does worst. When it leaves my bare neck I hear him laugh.

"Your showing too much skin." He says dryly before smacking me in the back of with the pan. I lurch forward and almost onto the table and let out a small cry. Burnings is one thing I can't handle. I feel the tears fall without much control as I notice that I'm right over the belts. "You need to learn your place." He whispers into my ear. "You are too selfish." I grab the belt as I understand what he is planning to do. He is going to pin me to the ground again. "You look so much like your mother." My father says as he sets the pan on the table. This is my chance. I turn and wrap one belt around his neck and pull it tight as I franticly grab one of the others and wrap it around his wrists that are now pawing at his throat. It's not tight enough to kill him, but only to disable him enough to get the second belt around his wrists.

"I told you, I will not hesitate in killing you and exposing all this crap you have done to me and my brother the past decade under that truth serum when the Candor questions me." I stare right into his eyes. I am afraid of him, but I must act like I'm not. My neck and head are searing from the hot pan. He stares back at me, challenging me. "Hell, I plan on going there and I can't wait until the last part of the initiations where I will be under and I will spill all your secrets." I threaten him with this lie. I promised my brother I would join him wherever he chose to go. So dauntless it is. I pull the belt around his neck just a bit tighter and smirk. "I don't like you, but I will respect you as a leader here until I don't have to anymore." I pull the other end of the belt and it falls to the ground and he is able to breath.

"You won't fit there." He says. "You lie all the time." I laugh as I walk to the counter and grab my plate.

"But the point of the initiation is to help you become something." I tell him. "So I will be in due time, father." I grab my fork and head upstairs and to my room. The tears are bad now. I will have to soak my head and neck in ice water to take some pain out. It's not long before he has to leave. He will leave without me and make me look bad for not volunteering to help him set up for today, but I don't care. I need to follow my advice from a long time ago. Be brave. I walk into my bathroom and turn on the shower so its freezing and strip down to nothing and walk in. A shock of pain runs through my body as I pull my hair out of the bun and let the water get to it better.

This is worse than having to be pinned down for days at a time in my own bed by belts. Pining me down is one of his favorite things to do to me. He hopes it will break my spirit if I think he was going to… I don't want to think of that. Burns, burns is what I need to think about. I let the water calm me even through pain runs through me. This is the best thing I can do right now. I don't really have ice. Soon, the pain starts to feel normal and I get out of the shower and dry off. I avoid my neck and my scalp. It will hurt worse. Burning isn't new to me. He started that along with the mental torture soon after Bass left. I miss him in times like this. I pick up my grey clothes on the floor and put on everything, minus the shirt. I need my hooded sweatshirt from my brother's room. So I set my towel on my bed without care and walk to my brother's room with only a bra and pants on. He isn't here anymore. So I am fine. He will never risk his reputation in being late just to fulfill one of his many metal torments that he promised he would do. Sure, I will not let him touch me. Those are the times I lash out. I walk into his room and to the closet and pull on the first one I can find. It's big and that's how the abnegations like it. It's easy to pull on. The hood covers the burn mark on my neck that will blister in a matter of hours and hurt worse. This is one that lasts for a while. I sigh and sit on the bed in the room. Really doesn't feel like his room anymore, but it still comforts me knowing my father doesn't come in here. I won't come back here, not if I can help it.

"Should I leave him a nice gift?"I smirk as I ask myself. I stand up and walk down the stairs. He did leave. His shoes aren't here anymore, so I take this time to walk into the kitchen to find everything where they are supposed to be. I take the plates out and put them in another cabinet. This will be fun. I spend about a half hour mixing up everything in his kitchen and making it look like I did nothing. I move the silverware and cooking supplies up stares and put them in the closet. "Try cooking and eating with your hands." I look at my watch. I'm missed the bus. "Sorry, I have to leave." I say with a fake sad voice before running down the stairs. My shoes are simple enough to slip on and walk out the door.

It takes me a half hour to walk to the Hub, the main building in the city where everything seems to happen. Candors are still smoking as the bus unloads all the abnegation and other factions. My father would have left before them to get there early. I pull my hood on and walk past the group smoking. I don't understand how they can smoke. It hurts my lungs just walking past the smoke. I walk past them and I fit perfectly into the group of grey dressed people. I will miss being able to perfectly fit in the group and not be noticed much. The group ignores the elevators and head to the stairs by the promoting of one our leaders. Mr. Andrew Prior. He has two kids in the Ceremony this year. I don't know them to personally just that they are really nice. The girl is similar like me. She doesn't seem to fit exactly perfectly. I walk up the stairs with the group to the top floor. This part of Abnegation I don't mind. I like the stairs but I do wish that sometimes I can take the elevator and other's being willing to take the stairs. You know, share the walk evenly. We get to the floor and I go to the E section of the sixteen year old as my father starts to talk.

I know the speech, almost too well. So I look at the room. It's the same. Circles around each other. We kids, are on the outermost one and we will have to walk over to him in the inter most one and chose between the five bowls that are supposed to symbolizes each faction. The smooth dark grey stones of abnegation. The hot coals of the Dauntless. The water for Erudite. The dirt for Amity. And finally the glass for Candor. My father thinks I will join them. I hope Bass it here. He will be proud of me. I can barely see the red mark around my father's neck as he speaks. His shirt does a great job at hiding it, but I can still see it. I wonder who else can see it? It's a sign of my defiance against him and his many torturous things he had done to me. My only question is that, will I be able to hold my hand over the coals long enough to let the blood drop on it and not worry about getting burned or hit. He wouldn't do that here. But he might visit, in that case. I will not hold out then.

"Working together, these five factions have lived in peace for many years, each contributing to a different sector of society." I hear him say. He is almost done, and then I can leave him and get out of this place. I wonder how my brother is doing. He must have changed a lot too. After all, he is eighteen now. Two years can change a person more than I thought. I just hope that he never finds out what our father did to me during our time away from each other. Most people will find it stupid about how I miss him, but Bass and I are close. During the countless hours in the closet, it's really hard not to. I hope he is glad I didn't end up killing our father. He isn't all bad after all. Only to his family.

I focus in again and he starts naming off names. I watch as one by one, chose the faction they are from. Well, until a kid named James Tucker. He is from the Dauntless and changed to Candor. The people around me are confused. But he probably just doesn't fit in there. I won't blame him. I don't fit in here, even if my test says so. Most of the names I don't know.

"Cable Prior." I know that one. I watch the older Prior walk to the middle of the room and chose erudite. Why did he choose Erudite? They are the ones spreading crap about people. Some of it's true. The papers did talk about my father. But most people don't believe it in my faction. I don't really blame them. It's unheard of here. I watch as he walks to the Smug Erudites and it's his sister's turn. "Beatrice Prior." My father says and the stunned girl takes a moment to react. She does the same thing, but chooses my chosen faction. Dauntless. The people remain silent. Did they have to go through the same thing I had too? I never noticed the little things I have. So probably not. No one else switches. Until me. "Aundrea Eaton." My father calls out my name. I can't help but stare at the marks on his neck as I pull the hood down and start to walk over to him.

I get to the front and he hands me the knife. My brain tells me to get away from him because he has one, but I over ride it and take it. His eyes are trained on mine as I grip the blade of the knife almost too tightly. I pull my hand away and look at the glass for only a brief second. I will be the second on the transfer to dauntless from Abnegation this year. The stones and coal are right next to each other. I look to both groups on the floor before me. The grey seems dull compared to the black and mixed colors. My eyes go along the Dauntless people and I do not see my brother. I watched him transfer there two years ago now. So I take in a deep breath and look to the blood pooling my right hand and drop it all on the hot coals. I listen to the loud sizzling. Before I hear the people gasp, even my father seems taken off guard by this. I look back at him for only a second and he seems a little scared. I turn back and start walking to the Dauntless faction. They are really quiet at this moment. No one has changed faction when their father or mother is running the ceremony, especially to Dauntless. I stand and tower over the Prior girl. I'm at least six inches taller than her. Maybe even eight. I don't know, but I follow her example and look ahead. The last one is going to Amity and I watch as the Dauntless group starts to run. I look at the girl, Beatrice, next to me and she is running. So I follow her and run with the group.

I am a dauntless now. At least living in the faction. We run down the stairs and I hear laughing and shouting as we go. This is what I was talking about earlier. People willing to take the stairs. Granted, it's not for the same reason, but it's still fun. I watch the Dauntless people run and skip a few steps by jumping. Seems like fun, but I need to learn how to do it first. Some of the new people try it and land on their faces. So I think I will stay away from jumping steps. I just run. When we get to the first floor, the transfers are breathing hard. For some reason, I'm not. I don't care through. The transfers catch their breath the rest of the Dauntless are running. So I run out the door and follow them to the tracks.

"Oh no." I hear some say. "We're supposed to hop on to that thing?"

"Yes." Beatrice says out of breath as we run. I watch the faction members do it with ease. So I copy them. I run along the train and throw myself into the opening as I grab the handle to help. I pull my body up and I lean against the cool wall. It feels good on my scalp. A girl dressed in white and black pull up Beatrice and they both breathe. I'm finally out of breath.

"You alright?" the Candor girl asks and Beatrice nods. "I'm Christina." The girl offers her hand to the Abnegation. Beatrice hesitates before grabbing it.

"Beatrice." She says as she lets go of her hand. We don't shake hands. We are really not allowed to touch each other. We nod our heads in greeting.

"Do you know where we're going?" the Candor asks over the wind.

"Fast train means wind, wind means falling out. Get down." Beatrice says as she sits next to me. The Candor follows her example. "I guess to the Dauntless headquarters." She breaths. "But I don't know where that is."

"Does anyone?" she shakes her head. "It's like they pop out of the ground somewhere or something." That's funny. Most Candors and Amities are funny. I sit there with my scalp being iced until I'm noticed by the candor. "So your Marcus's daughter?" I bite the inside of my lip. I think I get that from my brother.

"Yeah." Beatrice looks at me now. She gives me a tiny smile.

"I think that's unheard of. Two Abnegations transferring, but three? What's going on there?" I glance and Beatrice and she shrug her shoulders.

"Some people just don't fit in with their families chosen faction." I tell her simply. "I guess Beatrice, Cable and I really didn't fit in. even though we tried."

"Makes since. That's why I left." She says. I look at Beatrice.

"I didn't expect him to leave." She whispers to me.

"My father thought I was going to Candor." I smirk as I whisper back.

"You can't fit there." She half laughs.

"Or could I?" we both start laughing and the Candor looks at us.

"Did I miss something?" She asks.

"Nothing. Just saying I told my father I was thinking Candor when he asked a while ago." She looks at me for a moment. "In reality, I was planning on coming here for two years now." Now she laughs.

"Yeah, lying isn't cool there." Christina says. The rest of the way I watch the dauntless members. They are going to jump. I just know it.

"They're jumping off." That's my cue. I stand up and look out the door. Sure enough there is a roof and they are jumping onto it. I wave and smile at Beatrice before hoping off the moving train and onto the roof. My feet hit the roof and my knees hurt like hell. Really didn't think that one through. But anything to get to see my brother again. It's not long before I see Beatrice and Christina get off the train. Not as good as most. I walk over and sigh in relief.

"That was fun." The Candor says. I agree, but just need to work on landing. There is some crying and I look around. There is a girl, dauntless girl, crying over the edge of the roof. I don't even need to see to know what happened.

"Oh Scandalous, the stiff is showing some skin." I hear someone spit out. Beatrice is looking at her elbow, checking to see if it's ok. I am about to find out who called her a stiff, when some else speaks.

"Listen up. My name is Max. I am one of the leaders of your new faction." He looks like he is getting old from the gray hair and the wrinkles. Max is walking on the very ledge of the roof as if it's nothing. "Several stories below us is the members' entrance to our compound. If you can't muster the will to jump off, you don't belong here. Our initiates have the privilege to go first." I expected something like this.

"You want us to jump off the ledge?" some girl asks.

"Yes." Max says simply. I can see a hint of a smirk on his face.

"Is there water at the bottom or something?" she asks. He is testing us. Why would he tell you?

"Who knows?" he raise an eyebrow. Just then the members separate from us initiates. No one is pretty eager to go. I'm not, but I am. My brother is somewhere down there. I just can't help but see my father hanging me or my brother over the hole like he did when we were younger and it was over the stairs. Before I know it, Beatrice walks forward. This doesn't really surprise me. She looks over as the wind plays with her big shirt. It seems like a split decision for her to take off the shirt and throws it at the guy that called her a stiff. I will get him later. It takes her less than a minute to find the will to jump, but when she does I feel like I can. I walk forward and watch as she leaves my sight. I can't help but smirk. She is brave. I like her.

The wind is playing with my shirt the same way, but I don't have my normal shirt on. So no striping for me. I look over at Max, who is watching me intently.

"Can I go? I don't want to jump and hit her on the way down." I ask him Max seems amused. "

"Two Abnegations willing to jump first." He says as he looks at the group. There is some laughter. My expression doesn't change though.

"So can I go?" I ask him a little impatient. He smirks and nods. So I look at the hole and jump before I can talk myself out of it. My shirt comes up to just below my chest as I fall. The wind whips around me and my eyes start to water. I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm going to see my brother. I start to hear cries and shouts that have to be the Dauntless. Before long, my feet slam down on something and I end up rolling forward. The noise is louder. I hit my head as I roll on something and I feel a hand on my side. I stop moving and look at the source of the hand. His eyes are dark and I can't tell the color from the lack of light. His face is familiar, but it seems like I don't know this person. I remove his hand from my side and try to look around. I was on a net, but now I'm on the platform below it. I grab the net and I use it to pull me up. My head hurts. There is some laughing at me as I shake my head. I'm just glad I didn't hit the burn places. They should be blistering now.

"Another Stiff." I hear a lady say. She has long dark haired and piercing on her eyebrow.

"I am no Stiff." I tell her as I place a hand on my head. "I have a name." I add a little rudely.

"You do?" She asks sarcastically. "What is it then?" I look at her and the guy next to her that is looking at me weirdly.

"Aundrea is my first name." I tell her.

"I didn't ask what your first name was or last." She laughs. "I'm Lauren." She offers me her hand. I'm still not steady.

"Hold off on the hand shake until later. I'm not sure if I will fall over right now." I tell her before we hear screaming. I look and watch some slam onto the net. So I walk towards Lauren to give them room. I feel strange with the guy next to me, but Beatrice is here. So I don't move.

"Aundrea's your name?" She asks me. "I like Andy better." I smirk. "Seems more fitting, right?"

"Sure. If you want to call me Andy, I will have to live with it." I tell her sarcastically with an eye roll.

"Tris is what I'm being called." I nod.

"Ok, Tris and Andy are walking into the great dark world of the Dauntless together." I mumble and she laughs quietly. After a short while, we are left to our self as both of them are helping the others off the net. We both watch to the side as the crowd gets loud each time someone lands on the net.

"They both seem strong." She tells me. Beatrice… I mean Tris is more open than a normal Abnegation.

"The guy seems familiar." I state.

"He looks a lot like you, too." I think for a moment. Bass is here. Did he change a lot too?

"What's his name?" I ask her.

"Four." I raise my eyebrow at her.

"Like the number?" I ask with disbelief.

"Yep." She seems like she isn't lying. I really don't think so. Who would name their child Four?

"Is it bad that I want to laugh?" I whisper to her as the last person comes down. At least the ones that matter. The cheering dies down when the group of people disappear in the darkness. Tris smiles at me a little.

"I think we could have been friends if it weren't for the faction we lived in." She says as the two dauntless members left walk to the front of the group of both transfers and born initiates. Four and Lauren. They walk into the dark and the born follow them. So we do to at a distances. The hall seems like it gets darker and darker in between the lights on the walls. I really never been a fan of the dark. My father knew that too. I bite my lip and reach out for the wall and I find a shoulder instead.

"Sorry." I mumble out as I bring my hand back. The two stop at a fork in the hall. Lauren and Four look across the group.

"This is where we divide." Lauren says. "The Dauntless-born initiates are with me. I assume you don't need a tour of the place." Her voice is firm as the groups starts to split. She walks into the dark and the others follow her. Leaving me, nine other initiates and Four to the light hallway.

"Most of the time I work in the control room, but for the next few weeks, I am your instructor." Four speaks. "My name is Four."

"Four? Like the number?" I hear Christina speak up. Four looks at her with a blank expression.

"Yes, is there a problem?" He asks and I feel something familiar in his threatening tone, yet it's foreign.

"No." She shuts up.

"Good. We're about to go into the Pit. Which you will someday learn to love. It.." Four tries to continue, but Christina can't seem to help herself.

"The Pit? Clever name." She laughs out as if he didn't scold her a second ago. Four walks up to her quickly and is in her face.

"What's your name?" He looks down at her.

"Christina." She chokes out.

"Well, Christina. If I wanted to put up with Candor smart mouths, I would have joined their faction." He hisses into her face. "The first lesson you will learn from me is to keep your mouth shut. Got that?" Christina nods quickly and he walks away from her.

"What a jerk." She mumbles.

"I guess he doesn't like to be laughed at." Tris says. I can't help but press my lips together and breath in a shallow breath. I watch as Four opens the door and shows us what is called 'The Pit.'

"Oh. I get it." Christina whispers. It is a giant room. It's dark and I grab onto the Candor girl next to me. I never been a true Abnegation when it came to not touching someone and if Tris seems ok with her. I will to. We need to stick together. Christina doesn't seem to mind as we look around. In the walls are many holes that lead off to other places important. It's a lot to take in all at once. Where am I going to find my brother in this? I follow the group, but not really pay attention. Where could Bass be? He made it. I know he did. My brother doesn't give up. It's not in our blood, sadly in most cases. Plus, I would have seen him when I help out the factionless. I would notice him years ago. He changed, he had too. We looked alike when we were younger. Now, I don't know if we are. I haven't seen him or myself. I watch as Four takes us to a hole in the wall and there is water that crashes through the railing. The light is better, so I pull on my hood. I don't want anyone to see my burns until I get to myself. The heat off the burns hit my hood and it start to get hot under the hood by the time Christina leads me off to the rest the group.

I really can't see where I'm going, but I smell the food and hear the shouting and cheering. I look through the open place of the hood and I see more dauntless cheer as we walk to a table. I let go of her arm and sit on the other side of the table as Christina, Tris and Four sit on the other side. On the table is a plate with something on it, its food I guess.

"It's beef." I hear Four tell Tris as she holds up a piece and inspects it. He pushes something red in a bowl to her. "Put this on it." I pick up one and smell it.

"You've never had a hamburger before?" I look at Christina confused. Is that what this is called?

"No." Tris speaks up. "Is that what this is call." Christina seems surprised.

"Stiffs eat plain food." Four says.

"Why?" She doesn't get the fact of selfless, does she?

"Extravagance is considered self-indulgent and unnecessary." Tris tells her. I watch as the Candor smirks.

"No wonder why you left." She laughs. Tris wouldn't leave because of that. I know her better than that. I didn't know her, but we still knew of each other.

"Yeah, it was just because of the food." Tris says with a hint of sarcasm. I can't help but smirk as I take a bite of the burger I grabbed. It's plain enough, but better than the food at my father's house. I see Four holds a smirk in. Part of me doesn't mind him calling me and her a Stiff. But I still don't like it. I sit there eating the burger as the room goes quiet as I study Four. Something's off, but it looked like what Bass looked like when he held in a smirk.

"Who's that?" Christina asks.

"His name is Eric." I hear a hint of disgust in his voice. "He is a dauntless leader."

"Seriously? He is so young." She says and Four just looks at her.

"Age doesn't matter here." His voice is dry. I watch as the leader walks over to our table and drops into the seat next to Four.

"Well, Aren't you going to introduce me?" He asks. Eric looks across the table at each of the two next to him, then on me with confusion.

"Tris, Christina and that is Andy." Four says. He heard my nickname? Well he was right next to Tris when she named me. Eric stares at me.

"Two stiffs and one of them is wearing a stupid hood like she is assumed." I roll my eyes. "We'll see how long they will last."

"Stiffs." I scoff under my breath before biting into the burger. I chew and swallow. "Assumed." I'm not sure if he heard me or not.

"She hit her head as she rolled off the net and has a concussion." Four says without emotion.

"Whatever." He looks back at Four. "What have you been doing lately, Four?" he asks as if they are friends.

"Nothing really." He tells him with no emotion again.

"Max tells me he keeps trying to meet with you and you don't show up." He tells Four. "He requested I find out what's going on with you." I don't like Eric either. He creeps me out with that smile.

"Tell him that I am satisfied with the position I currently hold." He deadpans and Eric raises and eyebrow and his jewelry go with it.

"So he wants to give you a job." He seems to fake and amused tone.

"So it would seem." Four states.

"And you're not interested." Eric seems stupid or he is fishing. Can he just leave? He reminds me of my father somehow and it is bringing back memories.

"I haven't been interested in two years." Two years? Four got offered a leadership position the year my bother came here.

"Well, let's hope he gets the point, then." I watch him hit his shoulder and leaves. As Eric leaves and I start to breathe again.

"I don't like him."I state quietly. "Can I go after him for calling me and Tris Stiffs?" I ask Four a little too excitedly. Eric is like my father for some reason in my brain. Someone who uses their position to beat down others. Tris, Christina and Four stare at me for a moment and I notice my hood went up a bit. I pull it down as I look at Four.

"No. Just because you're in the dauntless now doesn't mean you're able to hold your own against someone like him." I roll my eyes at his comment.

"Not like he is like.." I start to mumble and catch myself.

"Anyway, you two can't be friends." Tris says.

"We were in the same initiation class. He transferred from Erudite." I look at Four. He's a transfer?

"Were you a transfer too?" Of course he was. They were in the same class.

"I thought I would only have trouble with the Candor asking too many questions." He says with bitterness. He doesn't like to talk about his former faction. "Now I got Stiffs…" I can't help but drop my burger on the plate and clear my throat. "Too."

"It must be because you're so approachable." Tris handles this one for me. "You know like a bed of nails." I can't help but smirk and chuckle.

"What's wrong with your friend?" Christina asks her as I hold in my laughter. I haven't heard of a Abnegation saying something like that before.

"I don't know. Haven't really talked her much before today." She tells her. I clear my throat and look at her.

"A lot. Be careful what you ask me. I might tell you more than you care to know and scare you." I tell her flatly. She blinks at me and roll my eyes. "I'm just kidding. God, Christina. Can't you take two Stiffs telling sarcastic remarks or joking with you?" I ask her. She shakes her head. "Plus, it's true."

"Careful you two." His eyes linger on both of us for a moment. I shrug my shoulders and push my burger away. I don't eat much anyway. He notices my behavior, I know it. I look at him for a moment and his eyes find my hidden ones. His dark eyes are really blue, dark blue. If my brother is going by the name Four now, there must be a reason. I need to talk to him quietly about it, if it's not him then he could led me to him. I watch his eyes narrow before someone calls his name and he is leaving.

"What?" Tris's voice cuts my thoughts.

"I'm developing a Theory." Christina says.

"I thought only Erudites do that." I scoff out quietly. They ignore my comment.

"And it is?" Tris asks her and Christina holds her burger and smiles.

"That you have a death wish and that Andy is just insane." She says. Trust me, if you been through the things I have and you would react stand offish or extremely humble and scared. This is just the stand offish leftovers from last night.


	3. Settling In

**Here is the next Chapter. Thank you all again for review and all. It really does mean a lot.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent. **

**Chapter Two: Settling In.**

I'm in the back of the group as Eric stops in front of a door. I don't like him one bit.

"For those of you who don't know me, I am Eric. One of five leaders here. We take the initiation process seriously that is why I volunteered to oversee most of it." He seems bored. "Some ground rules. You all need to be in the training room by eight every morning. It will be until six and you will have lunch in the middle." He picks at his nails as if he doesn't care. "After six, you can do whatever you want." Eric looks at the group. Four left somewhere and I am stuck with him. "You are not allowed to leave unless with a Dauntless. Behind this door is where you will be sleeping for the next few weeks." He sighs and leans against the wall. "There are three stages of initiation. The first one you won't be training with the dauntless born, but you will be ranked together. Ranking matter because after initiation, that is how you will be lined up to chose you jobs. Then the more important one is that only ten of you will allowed to become dauntless, that includes the others."

"So we don't all get in?" Someone asks. Please tell me that was a Candor. Erudites are supposed to be smarter than that.

"There are eleven of them and ten of you." Eric says with a sick smile. "You will become factionless if you don't make the cut." He opens the door, but he doesn't let us in just yet. "You chose us, now we have to choose you." Eric tells us before leaving us there with the door open. I'm in the back so I can't see the room as people start to file in the room. People are taking their sweet time. By the time I get in the room, all but one bed is taken. Right next to the door. Tris is in the bottom bunk in the same one. So I guess I have the top. The Abnegations are sticking together. I climb to the top and find a black outfit laid out for me. A short sleeve black shirt with a deep v neck that I will be surprised if the bra won't show underneath it and a pair of loose pants with underwear. The shirt will take time getting used to.

"So the Stiffs are sleeping together. All ready missing home?" I hear a girl snarl and then laughs. I heard you can tell a lot about a person by how they laugh. Not sure if that is true, but if it is then she is not good at all. I look over the edge as see three people standing next to each other. One girl and two guys. The girl looks huge, not tall wise but muscle wise. Her hair in a dark blond and her eyes are brown. All three of them are from Candor, that's for sure. I look at the boys now. If she hangs out with them, then they are bad news too. The boys are like polar opposites of each other. One is short with red hair and seems quiet, while the other is tall and has dark hair and dangerous eyes.

"Knock it off, Molly. If she wants to be with her friend then let her. You are going to hang on Drew and Peter anyway. So what's the problem? You missing home too?" Christina bites out with sarcasm. Molly and I look over to the top bunk next to me where she sits. Christina looks a lot prettier than Molly. Christina isn't as tall as me, but has long legs and short black hair.

"Don't get into this, Christina." She snaps before walking to her bunk and examining her clothes. Tris looks up at her and I start breathing again. I really don't want to fight with anyone right now. My high from last night has gone down and I just want to stay quiet, unheard and unseen. Something kind of new for me that I haven't over came yet. It started two years ago today actually.

"Don't let them get to you." Christina says as she reaches over to me and pats my knee. "Molly, Drew and Peter are just jerks."

"Thanks, not nice at all though." Tris laughs a little bit as she leans on my ladder. Christina shrugs her shoulders.

"Mother always told me that politeness is just deception in a pretty package."She tells her simply. Not abnegation thinking at all. "By the way, Peter is that one to worry about. He is like pure evil or something."

"I can tell." I mumble as I look over my new black shirt. Because of the burns on my neck and head, I'm getting pretty hot. My fingers find the edge of the sweatshirt and I stop. I forgot to put on a shirt. "Did any of you see a bathroom on the way here?" I ask breaking Christina and Tris conversation.

"No why?" Tris says as they both look at me.

"I want to put on the black shirt. I'm getting too hot in this sweatshirt." I tell her. Avoiding the reason why I'm hot. She laughs.

"Just take it off. Your tank top is fine." I look at her and can't help to blush.

"I can't." I say as I look at the black shirt again. "I forgot to put one on." Not something an Abnegation thing at all. No one forgets to put on a shirt. Tris looks at me a bit confused.

"How do you forget to put on a shirt?" Christina laughs.

"I had a lot of things going on today." I tell her briefly without looking at her.

"Makes since, your father was the one that ran the ceremony today. But how do you forget to put on a shirt?" She shakes her head and looks around. Why isn't Christina questioning this? "Al." She shouts and a boy that is as tall as me leans out from his bed under her. He has dark brown hair and eyes to match and looks huge.

"Yes." His voice is deep but sounds kind.

"Where is the bathroom in this place? Andy forgot to wear a shirt today and is too modest to show skin." I feel my cheeks heat up as she says this. The boy doesn't seem to take a second thought.

"It's just outside and along the way we came." He says and then looks at me. "I can take you if you want." I look between Tris and Christina.

"Thanks, but I think I can find it. If I can't, I will try to come back and ask you." I tell him quickly. He doesn't seem to hurt.

"She is a Stiff, Al. She will be Stiff for a while. Don't take it personally." I glare at Christina and throw my pillow at her. "Hey, I'm only telling the truth."

"This isn't Candor, Chris. It's Dauntless. We are brave and we bend the truth here." I tell her as I move to the ladder with my shirt. Tris moves and gives me room. I hope I don't get lost. Yet again, I could be able to find Four and ask him where Bass is. I'll cross that bridge when it comes. I get to the floor and walk to the door.

"Don't get lost; Eric says they throw people over the chasm if new Initiates get lost." I roll my eyes as someone's random comment. I doubt that's true. I walk out into the hall and walk the way we came and keep my eyes peeled for the bathroom. I really can't believe I'm here and sharing a room with boys. That seems strange. Oh well. The price for wanting to see my brother. I turn the corner I could have sworn we came down earlier to get to the dorm room, but it seems different. The lights are more spread out. I don't like the dark much. Not since I was nine. I walk down a bit and start getting nervous. I should've taken Al with me. I turn around and grip the shirt tighter and walk back to the dorm room. I open the door and I find Christina leaning against her ladder laughing at something.

"Hey, she's back. Al, I told you. Go help her." Christina says as she pats his back. I remain quiet as he smiles at me and leads me out the door.

"You ok? You look a little pale." I laugh and look to the ground.

"I'm fine. Just don't like the dark." I tell him quietly as we walk.

"You know, for someone like you. I didn't expect someone quiet and unsure." Al says in a calm voice. I don't think he is meaning to be rude. He is just truthful. A Candor trait.

"Someone like me? What am I like, at first glance?" I ask him with some curiosity.

"Sorry, didn't mean to be rude." He says quickly. I shake my head and loosen my grip on my shirt.

"I'm not offended." I tell him. "Now what did you mean?"

"You just seem tall and brave, like a Dauntless already. Sure you look like you don't have as much muscle, but you seem like you are one." I can't help but smile.

"Thanks, Al." I feel the urge to tell him about my brother. "The only reason why I'm here is because my brother is here."

"Really? That's cool." He says.

"It good to know that I can fit in here, from an outsider's perspective. At least I'm not making a mistake." I mumble the last part as we turn the other corner. The one after the one I took.

"You're not. Your test showed Dauntless so you're in the right place." I shake my head.

"It said Abnegation. I don't know how, but it did." I seem like I can be truthful with him. "But don't tell anyone. It will seem odd for someone like me being here. For what the others are concerned, I got Dauntless."

"Ok, I don't know I can lie just yet, but the question shouldn't come up." He says with a little laugh.

"Thanks. Why is it when a Candor asks me something, I feel the need to tell the truth most of the time?" I ask him as I start to see the bathroom door down the hall. It's not too far from the dorm.

"We can tell when people lie. So it makes sense to tell the truth. We are just going to ask again." I roll my eyes. Seems right. I walk to the door. "Do you want me to wait?" I look to the door and I'm not sure. I'm urged to say no just go, but I didn't really pay attention on the way here.

"Yeah, but if anyone asks you just look at me. I will be the liar." I tell him flatly. "I'm not always willing to get help, do you hear me?" He nods his head and smiles.

"Ok. But I'm willing to help whenever you need help." I thank him and walk into the bright bathroom and find a stall to change. The bathroom is complete with three stalls and three showers and sinks. Like the locker rooms at school. I pull off my brother's sweat shirt and hold in a cry. The burn feels like fire. I have to look at it. So I unlock the door and walk over to the mirror and sigh. I have changed. My face is long and narrow with defined cheek bones. It almost feels strange, standing in front of this mirror in my bra and pants.

I have gotten taller. I look like I'm almost six foot now. My hair and skin look the same, smooth. My skin still has a soft tan and my hair looks almost black. It's really dark brown though. I reach my left hand to my right shoulder and pull it forward and turn around to look at my back. It's a second degree burn and a perfect circle on my back. It's going to hurt like hell and I would want to wear nothing but a bra to bed but it's good. I could do that, but I would have to pull the shirt on and off a lot and since there are blisters and it's going to peel, that will hurt. Third degree isn't something I want to deal with right now so I will not complain much. What is someone sees? I can't really say that my father hit me with a hot pan. Hopefully, no one will.

I slowly pull on my black shirt and as I thought. The V is low. It doesn't come too far down, but it is tight around my chest and shoulders. I'm not swelling badly, so it means the shirt is small. I will have to deal with it though until my back heals. The back doesn't show much red and blisters. If my hair it down, it will cover it all. I pull my hair out of the bun and run my fingers through, careful enough to not hit the 1st degree burn on the scalp. I know it's that because I can't feel blisters and hair isn't burned off. My hair falls down past my shoulders and just above my waist. Most of the other girls have shorter hair in my faction. Their mothers cut their hair every third month or so. I never really had that privilege and it was hard to cut it by myself, so I just trimmed the ends and pulled it up. One last time, I shake my head and watch my long hair wave. It feels refreshing having it down. I pick up my brothers sweat shirt and I glance at the tag inside. T. E is written on the inside. Normally we don't mark our clothes. But he had this for years before he left. He never let it go because it fit… ish. I fold it nicely and walk to the door.

"Ready to go?" I ask Al, who is leaning on the wall next to the door. He blinks and looks at me again.

"With your hair down and skin showing, you look different."Al says as he stands up from the wall. "You look the same, but it's another way to look at you and I was wrong, you have muscles. But not too much." I can't help but roll my eyes. Yeah, I have to in order to pin my father and stand up to him.

"I ask again. Can we go?" He laughs.

"Yeah." He says before turning and leading me back to the dorm. I will have to wait until after the lights go out to sleep. That thought doesn't really scare me. I got him and Christina around me. Two strong looking kids. Plus the dark that comes from sleep doesn't bother me. It's the darkness that's there but doesn't need to be there. "Your hair is really long. I thought there were haircuts you all follow."

"My mother died before she could teach me and I couldn't bother the other mothers to do it for me. Even though they would have been willing. I chose not to cut it." I tell him.

"I'm sorry." He says. "I didn't know…"

"Not many outside of abnegation know or care to know." I tell him simply.

"Even when your father is the leader of your faction." I shrug my shoulders.

"He wasn't too famous among some of the factions." We walk back to the room and he opens the door for me.

"The other Stiff is showing off her skin." I hear someone bark out with laughter. I look over to the back side of the room and see the taller boy speaking. Did Christina say he was Peter? "And doesn't look to bad, for a Stiff." He smirks as our eyes meet. I want to go after him, but my body doesn't allow me too.

"She looks better than any of you with her abnegation clothes." Christina defends me as she slides down her ladder and stands in my eye line of Peter. She has her hands on her hips.

"Really?" Molly laughs out. It kind of sounds like she is sick. "You think she is prettier than me and Peter?"

"She doesn't even need to try." Christina deadpans. "Now, stop being jealous. She is only a stiff." She smirks. Molly goes to walk forward, but Peter puts his hand on her shoulder.

"Not yet." He tells her in a firm voice. Christina turns to me and leads my back to our beds. There are two more boys and one more girl in the group now. One boy has blond shaggy hair and the other has clean cut dark hair. The girl that is on his lap looks fairly pretty with shoulder length light brown hair.

"This is Will, Edward and Myra." Christina says as we finishes walking the short distance. I feel instantly awkward. These kids are from Erudite. I bit my lip and nod silently.

"Never thought I would see stiffs show so much skin." Edward says. I look to the floor and walk to the ladder and go up it quietly.

"He didn't mean that in a bad way." Will speaks up as I climb. "Just stating facts." I get to the top and set my brother's sweatshirt on my pillow.

"Are you all like that?" I hear Edward ask Tris.

"She doesn't like being called a Stiff." She says simply. "She very upset and is trying not to go after everyone right now." A pause in the conversation happens.

"Andy has a bad temper." Christina says

"I do not. I just ask for respect and I will give it back." I blurt out from the top bunk. I lay on the bed so my head hangs off the edge and I can see everyone. Thanks to having my hair so long, some of it goes half way down the ladder.

"So she can talk." The girl named Myra says with a short laugh. "So why did you leave? Tris says it's because of the food for her." I look straight at her with blank eyes.

"I didn't like the food either." I state with no emotion.

"I thought it was because…" She starts off.

"No, not that. I just couldn't stand life there. I wasn't meant to be there I guess." I cut her off quickly. I knew that was going to be brought up. It's truthful, kind of. The Erudite transfers look at me with suspicious eyes. "You're here; it means you didn't fit in your old faction. Can I not fit in my old faction?" I'm not as harsh as I want to be. It actually sounds like a real question, almost pleading with them to keep their mouths shut. They know, somehow.

"I guess that is a logical statement." Edward speaks up. "We will treat you with respect and you us?"He looks up at me with a questionable look. He seems bigger than normal Erudites. I wonder why.

"Yes, my request is that I am not called a stiff and my former faction isn't brought up negatively." I tell him firmly.

"Then it won't be brought up." He says as he looks at the other two wearing blue. They agree with no problem.

"Thank you." The conversation moves to what tomorrow is going to be like and eventually, they all go to bed and the light dims to almost pitch black. I'm glad that there is some light, but overall it's dark enough to pull off my shirt and lay on my chest. My shirt is tight at the top, but I manage to get it off without hurting the burn more. I rest my head on the pillow, looking at the light from the little torch next to me dance. It's the only source of light right now. It's almost beautiful, if I wasn't afraid of getting burned. Watching the fire dance slowly starts to loll me to sleep. Makes sense, the dauntless using torches to light some rooms at night. It ignites on their own from whatever machine it has next to it or in the wall. It's not long before I hear some sniffling from below me. Tris won't be crying. I sit up and crawl to the end of the bed and look down. Al's still awake and he is upset.

I grab my hair and lower my head. Tris is laying with her head towards him. She and I make eye contact and she seems torn. Tris isn't much for taking care of others, is she? I slowly nod my head and sit back up on the bed. I gently pull my shirt on again and make my way down my ladder quietly. The height doesn't bother me. If I fall, I will land fine, might be sore, but I will be fine. I walk silently to the head of Al's bed and crouch down next to him and rub his back that is facing me. Tris lies there, acting like she is asleep. No, she isn't going to comfort him, which is fine. I will. Al rolls over to face me and I give him a weak smile as I see tears run down his face.

"Want to go for a walk?" I ask him. From the light, I can tell his face is red. He looks worn out, but he needs it. "I can't sleep either and I can't find the restroom." He sits up slowly and I move out of the way so he can get up. Now, I'm the one leading him out of the room and into the hall.

"I'm sorry." He says quietly when the door shuts. I lean against the wall and sink to the ground. I stretch my long legs out and pat the ground next to me.

"For what? Being human?" I ask him. "Sit and we can talk." He looks at the spot and slowly sits next to me. "I doubt anyone would really come down this way." I tell him to let him know it's just us. "What's on your mind?"

"I miss my family." He says. The Abnegation training in me wants me to say me too. But I only miss my brother.

"When my brother left two years ago, I knew how you feel. He and I were really close. He was my best friend. When he left me with my father, it felt like my whole world died." I tell him and he looks at me with some tears coming out. "I hadn't really gotten over it. That's why I'm here, but I have learned to be able to move and function without him. I guess that's close to how you feel. After leaving your family to come here with some people you don't know." His eyes seem to drop as I look at the blue light on the other wall. "But you have Christina here and made a few friends and you will get to see your family soon on visiting day." I inform him. "You get to see them then."

"Do you miss your father?" He asks in a shaky voice. I look back at him and laugh a little bit.

"Want the truth or what?" Al looks to the ground and sigh. "No, I won't miss him. But I have my own reasons for that. But I do miss my mother." My voice is low and quiet. "I lost her when I was three."

"I'm sorry." This doesn't seem to work.

"I learned to live with it. I am told I look just like her." I have a hint of a smile on my lips as I bring my knees up to my chest. "From what I was told, she was a great woman. Brave even though she came from Erudite."

"That's probably how you can fit in here." Al suggest quietly.

"Maybe. But the thought of her in Dauntless seems weird. She is selfless more than anything." I sigh and I hear him laugh a little bit.

"Selflessness and bravery go hand in hand." He seems better now. "You might be showing Selflessness being here for your brother. So you look brave." I smile.

"Thanks Al, I needed that." I chuckle quietly. "I brought you out here to cheer you up and you end up cheering me up."

"You did great." He assures me. "Still sad, but it doesn't hurt as much." I look at him and he seems genuine.

"Why are you here, Al?" I ask him after a few seconds. He shakes his head and looks to the place I had been staring at.

"My parents think it's good to be brave. They admire the dauntless a lot." He says. "I guess I'm here because they would like it." I shake my head.

"DO you want to be here?" I ask him.

"I don't know yet. I will tell you later." He says with a small smile before getting up. He offers me his hand. I take it and he pulls me up. I'm surprisingly taller than him.

"Thanks. Better enough to go to bed?" I ask him.

"Yeah, thank you. I will keep what you said in mind." He says before leading me back into the room. He goes back to his bed and lies down. In a matter of seconds, I hear a soft snore.

"Sorry." I turn and look at Tris. "I just couldn't do it." I can barely hear her. So I walk from the door and crouch in front of her.

"I can't sleep with someone upset." I whisper to her. "Even if I'm Dauntless now. It's programmed into me, hard." I add the last part as a second thought.

"Not well enough in me." She says with a quiet yawn.

"But you are fine just the way you are, Tris. Not wanting to help is fine too. Besides I needed to hear some of the things he said to me. So it works out." I give her a small smile and climb my ladder again. I pull my shirt off and rest my head on the pillow and pass out.


	4. Day One: Don't call me Stiff again

**Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent. **

**Chapter three: Day one, Don't call me stiff again.**

"Andy." I rub my eyes and look around without moving. "Andy." I hear the whisper again. Never have I been waken up like this, either a raging father or a brother shaking my shoulder and almost yelling in my ear. "Andy!" I shot up from bed with the blanket held against my chest. I am facing the wall. I turn around and I see Christina at the foot of my bed. "You sleep in your bra?" She asks curiously. "and what's on your back?" I shift and sit across from her and hold the blanket to cover my chest better.

"Not normally. I have a have a night gown at home." She nods.

"What's with the burn? It hasn't been that hot yet." I look around the room. Everyone is focused on changing. I slept a little too late. But they are focused.

"I burn fast." I lie as I look around.

"Andy, don't lie to me. I can tell when people lie." I look back at the girl and sigh.

"It's a long story I wish not to be repeated." I tell her. She nods and crawls closer to me. "It's a frying pan burn." I tell her quietly looking to the wall next to me.

"Why would you have a frying pan burn on your back?" She asks in a whisper. I look at her and don't want to tell her. I stare at her for a moment. "I can't think of a way to get it unless you fall on it or someone hit you…" she gets quiet. "Oh…" I cover her mouth and pin her to the bed.

"You can't tell anyone. I will kill you if you do." I whisper harshly. She just looks up at me and nods. I remove my hand and let her sit up. No one noticed it.

"Wasn't going to." She says quietly. "Does Tris know? She is after all from your district." I shake my head no.

"No one really knows other than the Erudites because of the newspaper articles." I tell her in a sad voice.

"IS that why you cut Myra off yesterday and asked for respect?" I nod and look around as I fix the blanket. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. I'm here now. Can it be our little secret?" My voice seems quiet again. Still haven't gotten a high yet.

"Of course. It's good that someone knows and can talk about it with you. That is the best therapy." Christina smiles. "If anything is too much I can also think on the fly and get you out of things."

"I thought people from candor can't lie." I ask her with some sarcasm.

"I'm not in Candor." She smirks. "Plus, anything for my friends." I can't help but smile. "Need help putting on your shirt?"

"Yeah. I take a little bit to put on the shirt. Plus it's tight." I tell her regretfully.

"It looks hot on you though." I roll my eyes as I look around for my shirt. It's not on my bed, so I look over the edge. On the ground is my black shirt. Must have fallen off during my throw down with Christina.

"Hey, Al!" She half shouts. Al walks over from his bunk with his clothes on and looks up at us. "Her shirt fell and I need to hold up her blanket." She tells him. Al starts looking around and finds my shirt and hands it to her. "Thanks." I take the shirt from her and she hold up the blanket to shield the view. She's nice. I take as much time to change my bra and slip on the shirt I need too. Hell, I even change my pants and underwear. I flex able enough to do it in such a small space. Thanks to the broken bones I had gotten when I was younger. "Are you done yet?" She asks a little annoyed. I grab the blanket and yank it down.

"Yes, thank you." She laughs.

"You had to fully change." She mumbles as she crawls to the ladder. "Let's go eat." I follow her down and slip on my little grey shoes and follow Al and her out the door. We meet up with Tris right outside of the bathroom and make our way to breakfast. I look at my watch as I follow the others. It will take forever to remember the walk, so why try right now. The time is seven thirty. So we have a little bit of time to eat.

000

"Muffins, Muffins and more muffins." I mumble as I eat my chocolate muffin as we follow Four to where ever it is he is taking us. Now we look a lot alike, from what Christina tells me.

"Tell me about it. But their good." Tris says. "I have never had something this rich before."

"Neither have I darling, but you don't see me complaining." I tell her. "You're the one that left because of the food." She laughs.

"True." Christina hasn't left my side much. Watching me and making sure I'm ok. I regret telling her now.

"I keep forgetting you eat simply." She says as she walks in pace with me.

"It only has been two meals, Chris. I don't expect you to remember yet." I tell her. Four stops and opens a door to the left. Inside is really different then what I'm used to. There is a table full of guns and then there are lanes with a board at the end of them.

"The first thing you will learn today is how to shoot a gun. The second thing is how to win a fight." Four says as he picks up the guns and hands then out. I'm the last one in line and eating a muffin. So I finish it quickly and take the gun he almost shoves at me. Our eyes meet and I feel some familiar feelings. I don't know what they are, but they're there. "Thankfully, if you're here, you already know how to get on and off a moving train, so I don't need to teach you that." He says as he looks at me. He steps away from me and scans the group. "Initiation is divided into three stages. We will measure your progress in each round and rank you accordingly to your performance in each stage. The stages are not weighed equally in determining your final rank. So it is possible, though difficult, to drastically improve your rank over time." This little speech seems rehearsed. "We believe that preparation eradicates cowardice, which we define as the failure to act in the midst of fear. Therefore each stage of initiation is intended to prepare you in a different way. The first stage is primarily physical; the second, primarily emotional; the third, primarily mental." Four deadpans.

"But what…" Peter speaks up with a yawn. "What does firing a gun have to do with…Bravery?" Four's reflexes are fast. He flips the gun in his hand and presses the end to Peter's forehead. I hear a soft click.

"Wake. Up," Four's voice is sharp and menacing. "You are holding a loaded gun, you idiot. Act like it." I shake my head and look at my gun. I could tell it was loaded, but makes me nervous holding it now that he said it. I never held a gun and I was so willing to take it from him. Is there something wrong with me? I am Abnegation at heart yet I am willing to hold a loaded weapon that is meant for offence and defenses. Defenses are for selfish people. Which I still don't understand how I got Abnegation. I defend myself all the time. Four removes the gun from his head and talks more. "And to answer your question… you are far less likely to soil your pants and cry for your mother if you're prepared to defend yourself." He changes fast between emotions. Is that because of the training here? It's kind of freighting that he was willing to put the gun to Peter's forehead, even though he in mean. I would never be able to do that. "This is also information you may need later in stage one. So, watch me." Four turn and lifts his gun at the wall with the targets and stand in what I learned was a power position. Meaning, a stance that will give you strength and balance the weight evenly so it's harder to be moved. What Four does is have his feet shoulder width apart and arms almost straight as he holds the gun with both hands. Then he fires. My cover my ears and shut my eyes as the loud noise goes off. Slowly I open then and see where he hit on the target. Four hit the middle red circle. His aim is good. That's when he steps aside and we are directed to our lanes. Tris is on one side of me and Christina is on the other.

"That was amazing. I don't think I can do it." Christina says as she tries to mimic his stance. I look at Tris and she just starts shooting. She doesn't seem to be trying. I don't know. Christina starts and I am the only one that hasn't even started. I look at the heavy little thing in my hand. It's almost freighting holding. I set the gun on the small table/counter in front of me and look at it. All around me, shots are being fired off. My hands trace the handle of the gun and I find a button. I press it and the bottom pops out. Interesting. I pull it out and I see that is where the bullets are located. If I'm going to be a dauntless, I will have to learn to shot this thing. So I push the bottom back in and pick up the gun. There is a little thing in the back of the gun that sticks out. I push on it and I hear the same click that Four made his gun did. Peter got really nervous after that, so I'm guessing the gun is ready to shoot.

"Are you going to examine the pistol all day or are you going to shot?" I hear a sudden quiet voice in my ear. I drop the gun on the table and freeze. That's when I hear the chuckle.

"Damn it Four. I have a gun and I'm jumpy. Don't do that." I mutter out as I go to pick up the thing again. I feel a hand pull my hair off my shoulder and over to my back. His hands grab the gun in my hand and he leads my other hand to the gun.

"Legs, shoulder with apart." He says as he sticks his knee in between my legs and making me separate them. That was different. "Now aim the gun." He says as he lifts the gun in our hands and points it at the board. His finger move to point to a little notch on top of the guns barrel. "This is the sight. Aim the center of the circle in this and shoot." His voice is quiet and calm. I narrow my eyes and move the gun up with his hands still on it with me. His whole body is around me and I really don't mind much. "Now pull the trigger, Andy." I do it as soon as he tells me. The kick back of the gun isn't bad, but the noise was. Four's hands leave from around the gun to my shoulder. "Decent, just don't shut your eyes and don't be afraid of the gun. It is ok to defend yourself." He says before moving over to Tris. I look at the target and see I made it in one of the inner circles. Not the center, like him. But I'm close. I look at the gun in my hand and I feel adrenaline running through me again. Here comes my high, pre-say. What I mean is that my body is ready to do anything it needs to. Like stand up to my father. I aim the gun again and shoot. Right in the middle. A smirk appears on my face as I start shooting over and over again. It's not long before the room goes quiet. Guess we all need to reload. Without much thought, I push the button on the side and the bottom falls out again. There is a little box on the table full of more bullets, so I fill it back up in the way I saw before and click it back into place. I'm the first one to start shooting again. I was the only one to figure out how to reload, oh well. I just keep shooting. Christina is the next one to figure it out. The room soon gets louder and louder with the passing of time, but I don't care. I just shoot until we are told to stop a few hours later. Great time to work on aim.

"Great job." I hear Christina tell me as I strip the gun. Pulling the bottom out and make sure there isn't a bullet in the gun. I look up and around until I find her.

"Oh, thanks." I return to my gun and slip the remaining bullets into the box. Not really paying attention.

"No, really. You shot most of the time in the center. There is a big hole." I look up at my target. She is right, but I don't seem fazed.

"Looks like it." I tell her as I set the bottom next to the gun and turn around. Christina is looking at me weird. "What? Aiming is pretty easy." I tell her. "It's not a great accomplishment."

"Most people don't have a gaping hole in their targets." She states. "Or know how to strip the gun."

"I took the time to examine the gun." I defend. "Plus Four showed me where the sight was." I add as Tris joins us.

"Sounds like an Erudite trait." Christina says truthfully before turning to Tris. "How did you do?"

"Fine. My arms are throbbing." She says as we walk to the door. I see her glance at me and I can tell there is something on her mind. We walk to the dining hall and sit down to eat. The only think I recognize are peas and some sort of chicken for a sandwich. The others eat, so I will too.

"That was hard." Christina whines.

"No it wasn't. Simple angle adjustments and you hit the center almost every time." I tell them. Her and Will just look at me silently as they blink. "Math class. It was something we learned."

"I didn't pay attention in math. I was busy talking." Christina says before biting off some of her sandwich. "Al do you remember the time where I made a joke and the answer turned out it was right?" I'm the one that sucked at school. How does she not know this?

"I don't remember having class with you." He says with a mouth full.

"Oh, Come on. You don't remember me?" She asks. "We were in math together a few days ago."

"I slept through math most of the time. It was first hour." He tells her. Christina gives up on him and turns to Tris, whose mind seems somewhere else.

"Tris have we had classes together." there is no reply. "Tris." She snaps her fingers in her face. That snapped her out of her thoughts. "You in there?"

"What, What is it?" Tris asks a little confused. What could she be thinking of that brings her somewhere else?

"I asked if you remember ever taking a class with me." Christina repeats. "I mean, no offence, but I probably wouldn't remember if you did. All the abnegation looks the same to me. I mean they still do, but you're not one of them." I look at Al and roll my eyes. "Sorry, I am being rude?" Christina stops and asks. "I'm used to just saying whatever is on my mind. Mom used to say that Politeness is deception in pretty packaging." She told me that earlier.

"I think that's why our factions don't usually associate with each other." Tris laughs. I watch as Will walks over.

"Can I sit here?" He asks as he taps the table, next to me.

"What, you don't want to hang out with you Erudite buddies?" Christina asks a little rudely.

"They aren't my buddies." He tells her. "Just because we were in the same faction doesn't mean we were friends. Plus Edward and she are dating. I don't' want to be a third wheel." This makes sense. Tris and I weren't friends before coming here. I pat the seat next to me and Christina and he smiles and sits.

"I know how you feel. Tris and I didn't know each other either." I tell him.

"Do they have to be so public?"Tris speaks up. We all turn to see what she is talking about. Myra and he are kissing. I never saw one before.

"She just kissed him. It's not like they are stripping naked." Al says a little dryly to her.

"A kiss is not something you do in public." She states and everyone smiles at her. I'm confused. "What?"

"Your abnegation is showing." Christina mocks gently.

"Oh… well… I guess I need to get used to it then." She says and looks at her food.

"Or you can stay frigid." Will says with a smirk. "You know, If you want…" Before he can finish, Christina throws a piece of bread at him.

"Don't be mean to her." She scolds him. "Frigidity is in her nature. Sort of like being a know-it-all is in yours." I like her. She doesn't take crap from no one.

"I'm not frigid." Tris defends herself. Will just takes the piece of bread as she gets all red.

"Don't worry about it. It's endearing. Look. Your all red." He is mocking her. I can't stop my hand from moving. It goes and slaps him in the back of the head.

"Knock it off and leave her alone." I tell him firmly. "I think they didn't want you at the table mocking them." Tris and the others start to laugh.

"You just made the stiff hit you." Christina laughs at him. He starts laughing too. I really don't understand why they are laughing. I wasn't joking.

"Why you laughing? I was being serious." I ask them and they laugh more as we finish lunch. I shake my head and finish eating my sandwich.

"We're laughing because people from your faction won't hit people." Will says when he calms down. I finish the food in my mouth.

"I'm not in abnegation, Am I?" I ask him. "No. So it shouldn't be this funny."

"What's so funny?" I nearly jump from the sudden voice behind me and everyone last harder. I turn and groan.

"I told you not to sneak up on me, Four." I groan out.

"What's funny?" He asks with a little smirk.

"She hit me." Will tells him.

"Then you must be ready for training again. Come on." Four says before turning around and heading to the door. I'm the first one up from the table and following him because I'm not laughing at something stupid. They eventually get up and follow. But I don't talk to them. I don't like them laughing at me. I wonder what Four meant that I must be ready for training now. I will find out. He leads us down a new hall and into a new room. The floor is made out of old wood that is cracking. There are bags hanging from the ceiling on the far room of the room and one in the front. Next to that is a chalk board. Guess they don't update a lot. "Now, like I said this morning. Stage one will help you with training your body to react to a threat." He says as everyone gets in here. "Find a bag and stand next to it and I will show you some techniques." Out of habit, I wait until everyone has picked and go. The farthest bag is open so that will be my bag. "Tomorrow, you will face each other, but for now. You will practice on the bags." Four informs us before showing us how to kick and punch correctly. Then he lets us go to try. I watch as the others start punching and kicking their bags. This is better than a gun. I can't really kill people by punching them.

So I ball my hand into a fist and mimic Four's stance from earlier and punch the bag. It moves, but hurt my hand more. I hold my wrist and watch the others as I try not to cry from the pain. What did I do wrong? I hit my father all the time. What's different… I wasn't thinking this was him. I was just punching. After shaking my head, I look back at the bag and focus on it. I shake my hand out and do it again. It works. The bag swings and I hit it again with the same hand. A smirk appears on my face as I start to throw in what Four had taught us moments ago. I like hand to hand combat better than that gun. This uses my adrenaline more. I pick up my leg and kick the bag and it doesn't move. Kick it again and nothing. I set my leg on the ground and look on the other side of the bag and see Four right next to the bag, holding it in place and watching Christina hit the bag. I pale. I had been hitting the bag into him. He was really close to where it hung so he had to just get there. I move back into my spot, before he can turn and look at me. I stand in my spot and start wringing my hands. He is going to be pissed that I hit him.

"Why did you stop?" He asks as he walks around the bag.

"I was hitting you." I tell him.

"You almost hit your friend a few times." Four tells me. "She was standing too far back and every time you hit the bag. It made her jump."

"Then she shouldn't have been that far back." I state before shaking my hands. The bag only moved more than the others because I had learned to punch before this and I am much stronger than most people.

"Right, now show me some punching." He says with a smirk. I nod and get back into my stance and breathe. Ball up my fist and let it fly wide. I bring it back and hit with my other hand. After a few hits of the bag he stops me and grabs my wrist and adjust my angle. "This won't hurt as much." He says simple.

"I don't feel pain in them. So I'm fine." I tell him as I punch the bag again. This time hard, I feel little pain in my wrist. It swings a foot or so. "And I'm used to hitting this way."

"Not every day I hear that from a Stiff." Four crosses his arms over his chest. I keep hitting the bag and groan. Shouldn't have said that.

"Well, I'm not there for a reason." I tell him as I hit the bag even harder.

"And what is that reason? You don't seem like the one to normally get into fights." He states as he looks me up and down.

"Looks can be deceiving." I inform him. My fist hits the bag again and I feel something break on my back, then wet. A blister popped. I bring my hand back and my shoulders are burning again.

"Why did you stop?" Four's voice seems to rise out of concern. I bit my lips and hiss in.

"Just an injury acting up." I tell him. It should seem normal for a dauntless to say.

"Injury?" I nod and breathe in deep. My hair is getting a little wet. "Andy?" I shut my eyes and return to my stance.

"I will be fine." I tell him before throwing another punch. My shirt rips off the burn and make it hurt worst. Guess I'm not fine. I shake my head.

"Andy, what injury?" He asks more concern. I open my eyes and don't say a word. He takes the liberty to walk behind me and move my hair and he goes to check my shoulders, but he must see the red and blistered skin on the base of my neck. "Why do you have a burn on your back?" His voice is firm yet quiet.

"I fell over in the kitchen and hit the stove." I lie through my teeth. "It was my turn to clean the kitchen and do dinner. I tried doing it together and didn't really work out to well." Four sets my hair back down and whispers into my ear.

"Do you have any crème?" he asks.

"When do we worry about ourselves?" I ask him a question back.

"A blister popped needs to get it clean before it gets infected." He tells me.

"I will be fine." I tell him firmly. "I have been through this many times. I'm very clumsy and try to take shortcuts a lot." I inform him. "Just need to push through it and then shower. I will be fine." He doesn't seem convinced.

"If you're not going to get it checked, then sit down and not fight."Four tells me firmly. "The next few days are going to be hell with that burn."

"I am very familiar with hell, Four." I mumble out as I walk to the wall and sit down. It's cold so it feels good on my burning skin. He watches me for a moment silently and then walks behind the bag to help Christina out some more. This isn't productive, but I'm doing what I'm told. Surprisingly, it's not long before we are told we can leave. I stand up and walk out with very sweaty Tris and Christina.

"You head back; Andy and I are going for a walk." I look at the girl confused.

"Ok. Don't get her too lost." Tris jokes and walks with the rest of the group. Christina just smiles and walks.

"Where are we going?" I ask her leery.

"You know." She says. "I should have taken you this morning, but oh well. Now let's go." She says and walks faster. Four did not talk to her…

"Four told you." I state.

"Yep. Honestly, your story wasn't really believable. He wanted to believe, but he couldn't. You might have to let him in." I shake my head. If he is my brother, I will not even think of it.

"Nope, he is going to have to put up with my lying." I tell her as we get to the pit. The group took the short cut Four showed us to the dining room. So where she is taking me, I don't know. We walk up a narrow path and into a hole in the wall. I begin to smell antiseptic and start to get nervous. I don't want to be looked at. Christina grabs my wrist and pulls me.

"You're going. Don't be a coward." She says.

"You sounded just like my father. My response is always to turn around and give him my fist, in his face." I deadpan to her and she lets go of my hand.

"Didn't mean too…" I shake my head.

"No one ever means to. Just happens." I tell her as we get into the makeshift hospital. A woman walks over to us and frowns.

"What?"She says.

"Andy has a bad burn on her back. A blister just popped." Christina says simply as if it's normal.

"Stubborn people." The woman mumbles. "Come on." She says as she leads me to one of the beds. "Off with the shirt." I breathe slowly as I pull up slowly. There are only us in the room. I get it off and pull my hair out of the way so she can look. "Damn. What the hell did you do?" She asks shocked.

"My old faction, I was in the middle of cooking breakfast and cleaning the floor. I slipped and landed on the frying pan." I tell her the same lie as Four.

"You much be really clumsy." She says as she pulls my bra straps to the side. "Luckily, you got off of it before it got too bad. Just a second degree burn." Knew it. I watch as she walks off to grab things. My heart is pounding. I hope she doesn't see the scares or anything, or think much of them. She comes back and sets everything behind me. "Here take this." She says as she hands me a pill and a cup of water.

"It's just pain medicine. It's not going to kill you." Christina tells me. "Just take it." I do as she says and almost right away, I can't feel any pain. "Works quick, doesn't it?" I nod my head.

"Yeah." I tell her. I begin to feel my back get wiped down and cleaned up. It feels good. My heart is still pounding. I don't want her to ask questions. I'm glad when she stops, that she doesn't.

"There, it will be better tomorrow."She says as she cleans up.

"How? It's a burn." I ask her.

"Erudite and their crèmes that they make." The woman in all black tells me. "You need a new shirt." I see her hold up the sweat and blister covered shirt.

"Where would I get that?" I ask her.

"In the third hole in this line." She says as she throws me shirt away. What, I'm not allowed to wear it to get another one? I get something black thrown at me. "Wear this and tell woman there what happen. Might as well get some help. They provide the same thing for you initiates." I pull on the looser shirt and sigh.

"Thanks." Christina says for me and drags me out of the room before I can even finish putting on my shirt.

"Chris, slow down." I yelp as she drags me into the clothing store.

"There, we're here." She announces as she looks around. Tris and the two boys walk by to opening. "Hey, Tris get in here." Christina calls out. Tris looks around and sees us.

"What are you two doing?" She asks as she leaves the boys.

"Getting clothes." She tells her. "You're getting some too."

"What's wrong with my clothes now, they're not grey anymore." Tris tells her.

"They are too big and make you look a lot smaller than you are. You're getting clothes that fit." Christina tells her firmly. The next ten minutes, we are her personal dolls. She has us wear almost everything in the store.

"Dresses?" I ask her as I stand in front of the mirror with a dress that comes to my upper thigh and has a deep v neck.

"You look great." Christina exclaims. "You're getting it. Makes your legs and boobs look great." I blush at the comment. "Not that they aren't great before, you just like to hide them. Boobs need to breathe too." I walk back straight into the changing room and remain in there for a minute or so.

"Andy, come on out." Tris calls me. "Christina isn't used to talking with people like us. It was meant as a complement." She is pleading with me to come out. I slowly unlock the door in a pair of pants that are formfitting, but not tight, and a black sleeveless shirt. "That looks good. Not to revealing, yet dauntless." I smile a little bit and walk out with the clothes that Christina likes.

"Thanks." I walk to the mirror and look. My hair is a mess. So I run my fingers through it and smooth it down.

"Now let's get some of theses and go join the boys." Christina announces as she grabs some sticks and we use up some points for the month that we barely explained to us. "Where are they?"

"Getting a tattoo." Tris tells them. "A few down." She points to one of the holes in the wall and I see Will. "Al wanted one, to stop crying." I nod slowly as we walk with our bags. They break out into a run and I only need to jog to keep up with them. We get into the room and see Al in a chair with a skinny guy with a lot of tattoos drawing something on him.

"Looks painful." Christina says.

"It's not bad." Will says for Al. "He just has been sitting there. Come look at the book with us." I walk over with Christina and look at the books as Tris goes to look at the art work. We don't have art in our old faction.

"That's cool." I look at the book at what she is pointing too. It's a picture of a bird taking flight. "Wait do you think?" She asks me. After awhile, Tris goes to the woman in the back of the room.

"Looks nice." I tell her and we continue to flip through the book. Page by page, nothing. The man finishes up and shows Al his spider.

"Anyone else?" A tattoo would make me feel Dauntless. But if my dad ever saw it… I don't live with him anymore. He can't touch me anymore. I am free.

"Anything that means freedom?" I speak up and the three initiates look at me. "I want something that means freedom." The man thinks. "Tori is better with stuff like that." He nods to the side where a woman is just finishing with Tris. "Hey, Tori. Got a second?" The woman turns around. She has dark hair with a grey streak in it.

"What's up?" She says as she gets up and walks over with Tris.

"She wants something meaning freedom. Got any idea?" She looks at me and thinks.

"I got an idea. Come with me little one." I shake my head and walk with her to her table. "Where you want it?" I bite my lip.

"Didn't really think of that." I tell her. "I just need to shake my past life." Tori nods as she sets things up. The guys come back here and stand around me. Christina and Tris the closest.

"To think. The two Stiffs get tattoos." Will states with a head shake. I grab something from my bag and throw it at him.

"Oh shut up." I joke with him. His face gets attacked with my black dress and he struggles for a moment and everyone laughs.

"I don't think she like you calling her a Stiff." Tori states, trying not to laugh. Al has to pull the dress off of him.

"Here is your…" He looks at it. "Dress?" I roll my eyes.

"She has a dress?"Will takes the dress and looks at it.

"Christina's idea. We all have the same one." I tell them as I take the dress back and shove it in my bag.

"Sit, I'm going to put it on your shoulder." Tori pat on the chair and I sit down. "Tattoo's hurt sometimes. So just bare with me." She says before she starts. I feel the needle touch my skin, but I don't feel pain. I only feel the movement.

"What are you doing?" Christina asks.

"A feather that breaks up into birds. It's a sign of change and breaking free." She tells her.

"How long will that take?" Al asks. "My little thing only took a few minutes. That seems like it's going to be a lot of work."

"Not really. It's much easier than it seems for me." Tori informs him as she wipes my shoulder and keeps going. "I have been doing this for years." She adds. I like her idea. So I sit there patiently.

"That's looking so cool." Christina says. She is right next to Tori. I look over at Tris. She got a tattoo. I look at her and she smiles a little bit. Tris pulls the left part of her collar over and I see three black birds.

"They're ravens. Meaning my family." I nod.

"I like it." I tell her. For us abnegation, family will always be important. Well, whoever you consider family. I wouldn't care if my father died, but I don't think I would be able to kill him. They talk as I sit here and wait. Feeling every movement Tori makes in my arm. I don't know why, but my heart starts to race a little bit and I get a little sweaty.

"It's normal." Tori says as she wipes. "Sweating during your first Tattoo. I'm adding something to your skin." I nod. I didn't even ask it. Am I smelly now and that's why she said. I sniff the air and people laugh.

"You don't smell." Tris assures me. "Your arm is clammy." I nod slowly.

"Enough, I will have my dress attack you again." I threaten Will jokingly. He stops laughing and Al quiets down.

"You're afraid of a little girl's dress?" Christina asks in a mocking tone to Will.

"Little? Andy is a giant." He scoffs. "There is nothing small about her." I press my lips together and sit there.

"Grow up." Christina shoves him. "Those types of comments get annoying to hear all the time from guys." I think she caught my awkwardness. "I'm just speaking for everyone." She holds her hands in the air. "Don't like it, tough." She smirks and Will looks at her.

"Whatever, Christina." He shoves his elbow at her. That conversation is getting annoying. Is it normal to have friends that annoy you all the time? I don't know, so I tune them out and wait until Tori is done. Another five minutes and she wipes for the last time.

"Done, want to look at it?" She asks as she helps me up.

"No. I will just go to bed." I deadpan jokingly. "Of course I want to see it. You spent a lot of time on it." Tori smirks and leads me to the mirror. It's not hard to see. The feather is very detailed. All the little marks and shading make the tattoo look amazing. Part of the feather is breaking off and turning into black birds, flying off. The birds look likes Tris's birds. I really like this. It is beautiful. "I like it. It's freedom." I whisper to myself.

"Glad you like it." Tori starts cleaning up. "I hope it accomplishes what it is meant to do." She whispers to me. I nod slowly and show the group.

"Does it fit me?" I ask with a smile.

"Seems too dauntless to me." Christina jokes with me.

"How can it be too dauntless?" I ask her.

"On a stiff it is." Will says and I glare at him.

"I will get you for calling me that, Will." I threaten him. I feel Tori apply something to my shoulder.

"Take this off in the morning." She says. "It will hurt a little bit and since its broken skin, it could get infected." Tori warns. "But it will be fine for tomorrow's matches." I nod.

"Thank you." My eyes don't move from Will. "You better start running to the room." My voice is low. His face pales, even more and he starts running. The group laughs as I run after Will. I follow him as he runs the really narrow path on the wall. One slip and we are in the jagged rocks. Running wasn't allowed back home. Thanks to my long legs, I am able to run fast. I gave him a large head start. He gets to the pit floor and rooms towards the dorms before me. But as soon as I get off the path. I run at full speed. People watch me chasing him and really don't care. I weave between people so I can keep an eye on him. He gets to the hall before me and leaves my sight. Great. I push myself harder and get there moments later. In the hall, I am able to hear his foot steps as he runs. So I use them to help me get back to the room. I don't know where the rest of the group is. Somewhere behind. I turn around the corner and see him get to the dorm door. I get there seconds later and run into the room and grab his shoulder.

"I bet you." He breaths out.

"I gave you a large head start." I defend. Really, I didn't want to fall off the path. I throw his shoulder to the side and walk to my ladder. "Good job with still betting me, even if it was seconds." I smirk and climb up my ladder.

"Where did you start?" I hear Edwards voice. I look back at the floor and see him and Myra in the room.

"Tattoo shop." Will says.

"You better hope that we don't get each other tomorrow. I will get you for all the Stiff comments." I threaten him jokingly. I really don't think I would want to fight my friends.

"That's pretty far." Myra says. "And I thought Abnegations don't like running." She says a little confused as she looks at me.

"First real time I ran." Not including running away from my father.

"Must be your long legs and frame. You're tall and lean with some developed muscle." Edward says. "I saw you hitting that punching bag today. If you work on building your muscles in your legs up, you will have one strong kick."

"How do you know this?" I ask him.

"Studied fighting and the body for years." He says. "One of my favorite subjects." I nod.

"How do you suggest building up more muscle?" I learned how to be friends with Edward.

"Simple work out and eating protein, meat and eggs." He says as I lay on my bed and hang my head over the edge to see him better. "Pull ups and crunches would do your body good. You would want to use your body's resistance to help. I don't think you will have access to weights so pushups and running for 90 minutes a day." He says. "Then at meal time, eat as much meat so you can feed those muscles."

"That's it?" I ask with a laugh.

"Simple, right?" He smirks because of his own knowledge.

"Squats. Lifting a weight on a bar from the ground and getting it over your head. Basically." He adds. "But we need to find something heavy enough."

"Then I will talk with Four about it." I state. "There might be a weight room around here."

"You think Four will just tell you?" Will asks once he sits down on his bed. "Four isn't much of a talker other than instructing.

"Are you sure? He was pretty talkative for me." I tell him. "At least, I think he was. For Dauntless standers." The door opens and Christina and Tris walk in with my bag. "How did I forget that?" I laugh as I push myself farther off the edge and grab the bag from Tris. Thanks to my long legs, I am able to say balances on the bed as I reach down to the very short girl. "You give the short one the bag?" I ask Christina as I sit up on my bed and put the clothes by my pillow.

"You know there is a drawer down here?" She asks me back with the same amount of sarcasm.

"No." I drop the bag on the ground next to her and slid down the ladder. "Where is it?"

"Right there." She points to above Tris's head. There is a drawer I didn't notice earlier.

"Cool." I pull it out and have no problem seeing in it. I set the clothes in there. "Thanks." The door opens again and Peter and his friends enter the room. They talk with themselves as they go to their bunks."Why do you hate them so much?"

"Their jerks and lied all the time and got me and my friends in trouble." Christina tells me bitterly. "You would hate them if you knew them." I shrug my shoulders.

"I guess we would never know." I tell her.


	5. Eric is just like him

**Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it. Review and tell me.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent.**

**Chapter 4: Eric is just like him**

"Do you always sleep in?" I hear a faint laughter next to my ear. I sit up and back as far as I can into the corner as fast as I can. "Sorry, didn't mean to frighten you." My eyes focus and I see Christina sitting against the railing of my bed.

"Don't do that. I frighten easily." I whisper to her as I place my hand to my chest. My heart is racing. "And no, I don't normally sleep in. Just easier to sleep here than my old home." I tell her as I relax my body against the wall. She is already dressed and ready to go. I look at the rest of the room and the only one up is Tris. "And I wasn't sleeping in."

"If you want to get ready in peace." She crawls over to my ladder and goes down. "You get to change in peace now." I nod slowly as I hang my head over the edge of the bed and open the drawer. I pull out a similar outfit from yesterday. The pants are looser and the shirt is tighter. When I fought with my father, I would have a hard time with the big clothes. So the tighter the shirt, the harder to use it against me. But I do need loose pants for range of motion. The room is fairly dark still so I change. The burn is a lot better now. I'm able to change faster. I pull my hair into a bun and get down the ladder. "That was fast." She smirks.

"My back is a lot better." I tell her as I pull the shoes on.

"There was something wrong with your back?" Tris asks from behind me. I didn't know she was there.

"I got hurt the morning of the Ceremony and I had to get it checked yesterday." I tell her. "But I feel better now."

"Is that why you were wearing that big sweater and no shirt?" She asks as she stands up. Her eyes look different.

"Yeah, what's around your eyes?" I suddenly feel Christina's hand pushing me to Tris's bunk.

"Eyeliner. Now stay still and let me do it." She tells me. I am too stunned to do anything. Christina pulls out a stick and brings it to my eye and starts drawing on my face.

"It's not that bad. It makes me noticeable." Tris says with a small smile. So I sit there until she is done.

"I need to look at myself in the mirror. Is there any way to take this crap off if I don't like it?" I ask her as I hear Al stir.

"Not really. But you will love it." She tells me. "Now let's take that gauze off and look at it." She doesn't even let me answer; she just rips it off and looks at it. "Pretty."

"Ouch, thanks a lot, Chris." I groan as I rub my arm.

"Ripping off a band aid has to be fast or it hurts a lot worse. Now let's eat." Christina says as she pulls me up. Tris laughs a little bit.

"It looks pretty." She says.

"Thanks." I don't know if I'm looking forward to eating muffins. They are really rich, but I guess that's what's for breakfast.

0000

"Gather around." Four announces and the room falls quiet. He is next to the chalk broad. On the board are our names paired up someone else in the room. "Each one of you will fight today. Three matches before lunch and two after." I look on the board and find my name right next to Tris's. So I have to fight with her. That's fine. I can call the match off if one of us can't handle it. Or if I might hurt her. That is the last thing I want to do to her. She is so little.

"This isn't good." Christina whispers to Tris and I. "I'm going against the tank."

"The Tank?" we both look to her name. Molly's name is right next to it. That girl does seem huge. "Molly."

"Yeah, Peter's slightly more feminine-looking minion." Christina must really hate them. "Those three have been inseparable since they crawled out of the womb, practically. I hate them." I was right. I turn away from the ranting girl to see what's going on with the rest of the room. Al and Will are in the arena now and getting ready to start their fight. Al is a lot taller than him and will have an advantage. Not really sure that Will would be able to win this fight. Christina goes on talking with Tris, but I choose to ignore it so I can see how a true fight happens. Not one that starts off with a man going after his kid. The fight begins and Al hits Will in the jaw. I know how that feels. It is painful. Al takes his other fist and hit him again. His swing is slow because of his size, but it's strong. There is already blood from a cut lip. Will blocks the next one; I think he saw how slow he is too.

"I think they know we are talking about them." I hear Tris's voice next to me trying to whisper. If she didn't try to change her voice, I wouldn't have caught that comment.

"Talking about Who?" I ask as Will tries to block the punch, but Al ends up breaking the block and hitting him in the face. I wince.

"The three." Christina says "And they already know I hate them." Al throws another punch and it seems to be a pattern. Al lands a punch and Will is able to block the next one. Will tries throwing some, but it doesn't seem to faze him at all. There is blood on both of them, but Al doesn't seem to care about his. I notice his movements get slower and slower until they both stand still in the arena. I think their done.

"Do you think this is a leisure activity? Should we break for naptime? Fight each other!" I jump and stiffen at Eric's sudden shout. I didn't really know he was in here.

"But… Is it scored or something? When does the fight end?" Al seems scared of him too. I don't blame him. He is like the devil himself.

"It ends when one of you is unable to continue." Eric snaps.

"According to Dauntless rules, one of you could also concede." Four states annoyed with his leader. I don't blame him either. Eric is a jerk, like my father. He looks at Four and gives him a freighting glare.

"According to the old rules. In the new rules, no one concedes." Eric hisses out.

"A brave man acknowledges the strength of others." Four protests.

"A Brave man never surrenders." The leader corrects. They are both right, but I kind of sides with Eric with this one. I told my father that the first time I stood up to him. Sadly, I think Eric is right, to a small point. I will understand that I probably have no chance against someone, but I am willing to try to change the odds.

"This is ridiculous. What's the point of beating him up?" Al's protest breaks the heated stare. "We're in the same faction!" Will smirks at this.

"Oh, you think it's going to be that easy?" He asks. "Go on, try and hit me, slowpoke." I understand the erudite. He doesn't want something break out between the other two, so he is provoking Al now. Will pushes it farther and gets ready to fight again. Al goes and tries to hit Will, but can't. He is moving too fast for the big guy, which makes Al get upset a little bit. He doesn't seem like the fighting type, but he will have to do this to get through initiation. If Al gets in one good hit… Will will go down. Right now he is doing well at dodging. He will get tried soon. When that happens, Al will win. I watch as Will's arm is inches from his jaw as Al tries again. This time, since Will is off a little bit, Al is able to make contact and knock him to the ground. Will's body hits the ground with a sickening thud. I look back at Al and his eyes widen. He crouches next to him and hits him in the face until he wakes up. Part of him isn't there, but he will be fine. A little concussion, but that's it.

"Get him up." Eric says with a small smirk. He is a cruel man, no child. He is only eighteen. Al doesn't question him. He merely grabs Will and helps him up and out of the arena, towards the door and us. I can't see much activity in Will's green eyes. Bad concussion. No wonder Al was concerned. He grip on Will is getting lose, so I move before his can fully drop him and hold my arm out so I can grab around his chest and to his other shoulder. I look at Al.

"You ok?" I whisper to him as Four walks over here silently.

"Next up- Molly and Christina." Eric shouts, probably to try and freak me out again. But I'm focused on something right now.

"Will be." Al tells me in a quiet voice. His voice sounds the same as the first night. Four comes over to us and looks at me and him with silence. Al steps to the side and Four stares at me. I really unsure if I want to give Will up. He just got beaten up. I'm sure Four is going to get him to the Hospital, but still. That will mean he will leave us with the sadistic Eric. He wraps his arm around Will's waist and I feel his weight being lifted from me. I plead with him to not leave, but he ignores it and leaves. Al and I watch him leave before turning and watching the fight before us. Just in time to see Molly tackle her to the ground. It is never good to be pinned to the ground. That is when I start losing most of the time. The bigger girl just wails on my friend. Hitting here over and over again. My body feels stiff after watching Will get semi knocked out and Al not being able to hold him up because he is too tired and hurt to hold him. I'm in my down state now. The meek version of me. The quiet and Abnegation side of me. I don't want this to happen, but I can't do anything to stop it. So I will take her body to the hospital, like yesterday when she took me there. I can half carry her with some help from Al, maybe even Tris. I can't handle watching Christina getting hurt. I shut my eyes and try not to shake. This has be what it looked like to be beaten by my father. Just Molly is another sixteen year old girl.

"Stop!" I open my eyes at her cry. "I'm… done, please stop." Her throat is stained. I can't breathe. Her face is soaked in blood and she has moved and is now holding onto her side. I see Eric step into the arena with a cruel look on his face.

"I'm sorry, what did you say? You're done?" He says in a sickening mocking voice. Christina struggles to stand and I can't find make myself to move. I'm not sure if I will make it worse. "Get up." his voice got a lot quieter. Is Eric related to my father? He seems to act like him. She still can't get up. Finally, I find enough will to step forward, but by now Eric has his hand on her arm and is yanking her up hard. I can't help but let out a quiet strained sound from my throat. He shouldn't be doing that if her ribs are fractured. "Follow me." Again, his voice is low as he drags her out the door. No one moves at first. My breathing has become shallow as I look at AL and Tris. He has pulled her to him and is trying to calm her down. I don't blame him. This is a lot. The first to go out is the three Candor kids; Peter, Drew and a smirking and bloody Molly. That isn't her blood. I feel Al's other hand on my shoulder as he gently pushes me to the door. We are the last ones out. What is he going to do to her? He can't kill her, can he? I don't know. It's Eric. You never know what he is going to do.

Eric leads us down the halls as my body shakes. The only reason I am walking is because of Al is pushing me. He knows I will get in trouble for not following orders. So I'm glad he is helping me. He takes us into the pit and I understand. Eric is leading us to the Chasm. My body freezes despite Al pushing me. Eric is going to kill her. I feel water form in my eyes. He enjoys people in pain. That cruel man. I watch as the group heads into the small area and Eric throws her to the railing. My body moves again, he isn't going to throw her over. That's good.

"Climb over." I hear him tell her with no emotion. My face pales.

"What?" She asks in a freighted voice.

"Climb over the railing. If you can hang over the chasm for five minutes, I will forget your cowardice. If you can't, I will not allow you to finish initiation." This is worse. He is torturing her. Her body shouldn't endure this. I can't move from the place I found in the middle of the group.

"Fine." Her voice seems like she was trying to seem brave, but it doesn't convince me. I watch as she throws her leg over the railing and gets ready to pull the other leg. Where is Four? Can't he do anything? I don't want one of my first friends to die. She is annoying, sure. But aren't most friends. I really won't know, but that's not the point. She shouldn't die this way. Christina shouldn't die now. Next thing I know Christina is ready and started to hang of the railing. The cold wet railing. Why did Will have to be so small? Al should have broken a bone or something so Four can be here. But then again it would have been worse. I just don't want my friend hanging off the railing. I feel a nudge on my shoulder and I barely look. It's Al and I see his watch. 1:30, it's been a minute now. 4 minutes and 30 seconds left. She can do this. I turn and see a wave crash over her and get the people in front of me wet. Her head hits the bars and I hear her cry out in pain. Christina's fingers are barely holding on now. I feel Al grip my shoulder as I control myself from pulling her up. Another crash of the river and she loses grip with one hand. I jerk forward, but thanks to Al I don't move much. Now she starts to sob. The strong girl from Candor is crying now. How cruel? I look at Eric and he doesn't seem concerned.

"Come on, grab it Christina." I hear Al's voice next to my ear. "Come on, grab it again." Eric doesn't seem upset by this. I look at her and see some panic. This needs to stop.

"Chris, grab the rail." My voice comes out firm. "Grab the railing." She looks at me as she tries to swing her arm up. No one else talks as I hold my breath. Her fingers graze the cold metal and finally grips it. Al starts to get loud and removes his hand from my shoulder to clap. I just look at her.

"Come on." I hear Tris now. "One minute left." A little louder now. Her eyes move to Al's and I still can't breathe. Before I can process, another wave hits and I don't see her. Where did she go? I hear her scream, but it stops. I scan the railing and find only her fingers on the bottom rail. She caught it at the last moment.

"Good job, Chris. Good job." I whisper out.

"Five minutes are up." I hear Al spit out almost in venom. Didn't expect that from him. I glance at Eric and I don't know what to do as he takes his time to check his watch. How can he do this to a sixteen year old girl?

"Fine. You can come up, Christina." Eric calls out lazily. Al and Tris shove past Peter and Drew as they walk to the rail. "No, she has to do it on her own." Eric corrects them. I can't handle it anymore. I walk through the gap made by those two and to the railing. I crouch down and grab both of her wrists. To give her more support. I don't want to lose her. Her hair is sticking to her neck from the mixture of blood and water. Christina slowly lifts her head and she looks at me with tired but glad eyes.

"No, she doesn't." I hear Al almost spit out. No one better mess with his friends. "She did what you told her. She isn't a coward. She did what you told her." He tells him firmly. Eric doesn't respond as Tris and him come over to the rail to help. Al reaches over the railing and I help Christina grab his wrist so she can get help up. Once she is secure, I release her wrist so I can reach over the rail and grab it again. Al is still a little weak from the fight. Will might not be as strong, but he is smart and figured out where to hit. I help pull her up and get her standing on the other side on solid wet ground. Tris supports her under her arms now as I pull her over the railing, back to us. Tris is not strong enough to hold her and I don't have a good grip anymore and Al… doesn't have a hold of her. Christina sinks to the ground, bringing Tris with her. So I join her in a crouch to assist her injuries. Why did I come here if there is a person like my father here? Someone who could care less about others. I shake my head and look at the apathetic man. He really doesn't care. I can't stand looking at him, so I turn back to Christina and focus on her. He just pissed me off.

0000

"I'm fine." Christina says and I roll my eyes.

"Good thing you're not in Candor anymore." I scoff. "You would get in so much trouble." She knows I don't believe her.

"She will be fine." Tris says. Right now we are walking back to the fighting room. I'm not looking forward to fighting Tris.

"I know she will be." I glance at Christina and smirk. "She is like a baby. She will always get right back up and try walking again." She looks at me confused.

"A baby? Really?" She asks with disgust and I laugh.

"They are the only cute things I could of think of to call you." I tell her, now she and Tris laugh.

"Thanks." She says as we get to the door. We are the last ones in the room now.

"Nice for you to finally join us." Eric deadpans. I could care less. "Because you two were late you have the privilege to go next." I didn't want to fight yet. I look at Tris and she doesn't seem worried. I have only fought to defend myself. I hit to hurt badly. I don't know how that will go over since she is such a little girl. She is nowhere close to my father. I glance at Christina worriedly before walking into the arena with Tris. "Two Stiffs fighting each other. This should be fun." He mocks us as we get into our places. I glance at Four and hope he is understanding my silent plea. This is the first time we saw him since he left, but he knows what happened. He could not know. Four just shakes his head slowly so Eric doesn't catch on. I blink, sigh, and look at Tris. She doesn't seem to be worried.

"Good luck." She whispers to me. Good luck for what? Not killing you?

"You too." I nod to her and I hold my fists up and we start. Tris comes at me and does her best to get a hit in. I need to disable her quick and with the least amount of pain possible. I could pull her arm back and tell Eric that I'm done. Snapping her arm and making it so she can't fight anymore wouldn't be ideal. But he would just say do it and don't be a coward. Tris might be factionless after that move. So what am I to do? I throw her fist to the side as it comes to my head. Over and over again, I grab her fist and throw it to the side as I move away from her. The punching isn't getting her anywhere, so she tries kicking. I get kicked once and then the rest of the time I move out of the way or catch it and throw it to the side.

"What is this?" Eric groans. "Fight her. Don't just deflect her." He yells. I grab her foot and pull her to me.

"I am fighting with her." I snap back as Tris stumbles over to me. She would be better with a gun than hand to hand combat. "What do you want me to do? Let her knock me out?" I'm not in the mood for his crap.

"Fight her and make it so she can't fight back." He tells me in a snarl. I whip her foot to the side and let go. She stumbles and lands on her knees.

"I can only think of one way and I'm not going to risk killing her." I snap at him. Tris looks at me confused. As the rest of the room, except Christina. She is unsure. "She can't handle most of the moves I can think of."

"So you think." Eric says. "Don't be cowardly. I don't think you want to be over the rails like your friend." I narrow my eyes as I feel a punch to my face. Her fist is little, but enough to turn my head to the side. Out of reflex, I grab her wrist and pull it around her.

"She can't fight anymore. Can I be done?" I ask him boredly. "She can't move from this position." I add. Tris even tries. I simply push her to the ground and hold her wrist closer to her back, twisting her arm in the process. A little cry comes from her lips. "She can't move. You said until they can't fight. Tris can't fight." Eric and I lock eyes. I don't want to hurt her.

"How do you know she can't handle another Stiffs fighting?" He asks me.

"I'm here and not Abnegation anymore. There must be a reason." I tell him sharply as I push on her back more.

"It does technically follow under the rules." Four states and Eric glares. "We can change it today, but right now it fits." He says.

"She needs to learn how to inflicted pain. Not every opponent will be as weak as the girl." Eric tells him.

"Pain? You want pain?" I ask him. He looks back at me. "I can give her some pain." I have no emotion in my voice. I take one of her fingers, her middle finger and bend it the wrong way. Tris bites back some tears. I bend until I can until it fractured. "There is some pain." I stand up and get off of her. Tris gets up and holds her finger.

"Fine, whatever. But none of this crap later. You will fight next time." He tells me in a low voice.

"Fine." I really couldn't care less. I just can't hurt someone that I'm not even sure can handle it. It's sick to hurt people you know is weaker than you and hasn't done anything to deserve it. Tris, no, she did nothing. I will not have her blood on my hands unless I'm helping her or she can handle it. Right now, she cannot. My body can take a beating. Not her. I really don't want Christina to be able to, but she is better to endure it than Tris. I turn and step out of the circle with Tris. Eric is pissed and just moves on. I feel Tris's eyes on me. She doesn't talk until the fight in going.

"I'm not sure to be glad or upset." She states quietly.

"Glad. You have no idea what this girl can do." Christina tells her. I look at her trying to figure out what she meant by it. "She is taller than anyone here. You saw Al hit Will pretty much once. Just think what she could do, if she is strong enough. I think it was smart of her to not test it out on someone who has never fought ether. They paired you up wrong. It should have been with even people." Christina tells her for me. That's not really my reasons. But ok. "She was wanting to make sure she didn't kill you if she could. Seeing Will kind of freaked her out."

"Ok." Tris seems to understand. Eric doesn't seem too happy with my choice, but I don't care. He glances at me every so often throughout the fight. Each look with disgust. I think tomorrow is going to be hell for me. At least I know Tris won't be hurt today. Tomorrow, I think Eric has something planned for us three. We will have to see.

000

I walk down the stairs of the dark house. It's about 1 in the morning. My emotions are going out of control right now. Tears running down my face as I feel my head and legs hurt. Up the stairs I hear someone yell my name.

"Aundrea, get back here you ungrateful brat." I run down the stairs, my goal is the front door. My heart is racing badly and my foot hurt as it slips on one of the steps and tumble down the stairs. My head and the rest of my body hits each step and finally land on the hard wood floor at the bottom of the stairs. My face sees the stairs and the tall figure walking down with the belt in hand. I try to scrabble to my feet, but he is able to get to me. He grabs the back of my shirt and yanks me up. "You're a stupid brat." He bites out as he drags me up the stairs. I start to tremble now as I feel him lifts me up. He is going to hang me over the railing. My body is so tired. "Why do you keep trying to run? You are too weak to fight or run. What's the point?" He taunts me. He knows I can't fight back now. "You're just as weak as your brother. I am stronger and you know it." More tears fall down my cheeks as he moves me over the railing.

"Stop it, please." I plead with him quietly. "Please stop. I have school tomorrow." I don't like being hung from the stairs, it's frightening.

"You will just wear one of his sweaters you keep in his closet. So what does it really matter." I feel more hot tears run down me. He is silent now; even to the point I can hear the sound of my tear drop hit the floor. Or at least my mind makes it seem like it. I hang there not facing him, starting to be choked from the shirt up to my throat.

"People are starting to ask." I sob out. "Please just stop it. Set me back on the stairs, please." My voice is strained as I try to plead with him. It becomes harder and harder to breath as I hang here. Is this what a noose feels like around your neck? Must be faster, though. You would be using your own weight against you. At least my father is holding me in a way that I won't die right away. I wish he would just kill me. The throbbing in my head would just vanish and my legs won't hurt. "Just set me back on the stairs please." I sob out. I feel myself turning. He turns me so I am facing him. He doesn't seem to care.

"I don't believe you. People don't notice you, you're from Abnegation. They don't care." His voice is level.

"The Erudite kids are asking. They have been keeping an eye on me." I tell him as I look straight into his eyes. "Ever since he left they have been." His face changes for a moment. Then his arm moves and sets me on the stairs.

"Then I will do something they can't see." He says as he moves his grip to my top bun and pull me up the stairs. My eyes widen with fear when he drags me to my room.

"No, No, NO." I scream out.

000

"Andy." I shot up and crawl to the corner.

"Don't touch me." I sob out quietly. "Please."

"Andy, it's me. Christina." I hear the girl's voice whisper to me. Slowly I open my eyes. "Come here." She opens her arms and I hesitate going into her arms. But when I do, she wraps her arms around me and rubs my back. "You're quiet in your sleep, but you toss and turn a lot when you have a nightmare." She whispers into my ear.

"Today was too much for me." I tell her as I shake. "Kids beating up on other kids. You, being hung from the Chasm. Me having to fight Tris. I can't fight her. She is small. It reminded me of my father and me when we fought. It's always unfair. This was unfair." I sob out. "Can't I just stop this and go home. I can handle getting knocked around. Some of these kids can't." My face is in her shoulder so my voice is muffled. Only she can hear me. "I feel bad for hurting Tris's finger."

"It's only a finger. She will be able to fight." Christina tells me. "And you will be safe here. Trust me. Eric is more hot air than anything. He actually might be afraid of Al. He didn't even respond when Al told him off." I smile and look up and look at her.

"Your right." I laugh quietly as I wipe my face. Then the funniness leaves. I shake my head and sigh. "I'm so weak and stupid." I mumble to myself. "I'm crying."

"If crying is a sign of weakness, than I am very weak." She tells me firmly.

"You're not weak." I tell her.

"My point. If I'm not weak for crying, you're not weak for crying." Christina is a good friend.


End file.
